Star Wars Episode IV: Hope Reborn
by Naitch03
Summary: Where it all begins...again. Four years on Earth equals twenty in the galaxy far, far away. Luke Skywalker and Leia Nabberie are grown. And as the Rebellion enters its most desperate hour, they will be its only hope along with a group of exiled Jedi, and
1. In Exile: Year 1

**The Nature Boy Proudly Presents

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**Star Wars: Episode 4 - Hope Reborn

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**General Disclaimer:** George Lucas and Lucas Arts own Star Wars and all related characters. Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy owns Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all related characters. Parts of this story will be taken directly from the movie Star Wars Episode 4 - A New Hope. I write this purely for the enjoyment of writing it, no money is being made from this, and no copyright violations are intended. And any and all original characters belong to me.

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**Dramatis Personae**

**Buffy Skywalker; Jedi Master, Slayer (female human)**

**Willow Rosenberg-Naberrie; Force-Sensitive Witch (female human)**

**Anakin Skywalker; Jedi Master (human male)**

**Padmé Skywalker (female human)**

**Obi-Wan Kenobi; Jedi Master (human male)**

**Aayla Secura; Jedi Master (female Twi'lek)**

**Bol Chatak; Jedi Master (male Zabrak)**

**Roan Shryne; Jedi Master (human male)**

**Ydra Kilwallen; Jedi Master (female Mirialan)**

**Teryl Sibwarra; Jedi Master (Female Kuat)**

**Zett Jukassa; Jedi Knight (human male)**

**Serra Keto; Jedi Knight (human female)**

**Olee Starstone; Jedi Padawan (female human)**

**Dawn Summers; Watcher, Jedi Padawan (female human)**

**Luke Skywalker; Force Sensitive (male human)**

**Qui-Gon Jin; Jedi Knight (male human)**

**Darth Vader (Jorus C'baoth); Sith Lord (male human)**

**Nejaa Halcyon; Master Hand (human male)**

**Mara Jade; Emperor's Hand (female human)**

**Wedge Antilles; Rebel Pilot (male human)**

**Lord Nigel Ambrose-Bellairs; Head, Watcher's Council (male human)**

**Xander Harris; Wather's Council Represenative (male human)**

**Rupert Giles; Senior Watcher (male human)**

**Faith Lehane; Senior Slayer (female human)**

**Wesley Whyndam-Pryce; Watcher (male human)**

**Winefred Burkle; Council Tech Specialist (female human)**

**Spike; Council Operative (male vampire)**

**Angel; Council Operative (male vampire)**

**See-Threepio; Droid**

**Artoo-Deetoo; Droid

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It is a time of turmoil in the Empire. The Emperor's deadliest apprentice Darth Vader, a clone of the former Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth, leads the Imperial Army across the galaxy in a campaign of pacification. His Hands, the fallen Jedi Neeja Halcyon and his apprentice, Mara Jade, have hunted down and destroyed many of the Emperor's enemies. Through fear Emperor Palpatine rules the galaxy, a fear that would become all-powerful with the completion of his super-weapon- the Death Star.

But there are those who will not lay down for the Emperor. The Rebel Alliance has been growing ever since the Empire was first formed. Led by Bail Organa and Mon Mothma, the Rebels have finally achieved a victory over the hated Empire by managing to steal the plans to the Death Star. Secreted aboard the Senators ship and guarded by his legislative apprentice Leia Naberrie, the young Senator speeds towards the desert planet of Tatooine to enlist the aid of the Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, but not before they picked up an unfriendly tail of an Imperial Star Destroyer.

Now, as the Rebellion comes head to head with the Empire, their last hopes lie in the hands of an aged Jedi Knight, a young moisture farmer with a pedigree steeped in the Force and a group of exiled Jedi, whose time has finally come to return and fulfill their duty….

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**Episode 4 Prologue:**

**In Exile: Year One

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The first year of their exile was undoubtedly the hardest.

Giles had set the Jedi up in the Travers Wing, a brand new building on the grounds whose construction Xander had been in charge of. It was originally meant to be a new dormitory/training facility for the hundreds of Slayers that had started popping up all over the world and was thus perfect for housing the resurgent Jedi Order. So the first week on Earth, the Jedi (along with some shanghaied Slayers) put the new dorm in order - laying out the training rooms, setting up the personal quarters and such. There was an outdoor courtyard area situated in the center of the building the Buffy felt would be a perfect place for a new room of a thousand fountains, which Xander gleefully went to work designing.

While they were getting situated, all lessons were put on hold. It was as much for getting used to their new surroundings as it was for the Masters to convene to hammer out a new code.

"You all know my opinions," Buffy said at that first meeting. "Discuss."

"I think Master Skywalker is right," Roan Shryne said almost at once. "I know my record with the Order has been anything but spotless, but Buffy does have a point. We allowed a Sith Lord to obtain total control over our galaxy. If that doesn't say we need to adapt, what does?"

"I concur as well," Aayla Secura seconded.

"You would throw away our oldest traditions, then?" Teryl Sibwarra asked. The Twi'lek master shook her head, but was cut off by Master Chatak before she could speak.

"She doesn't want to throw them away, Master Sibwarra. Indeed, we should endeavor to hold our ideals close to us. But that is not to say we should not grow beyond the limitations placed on us by them. Anakin Skywalker would very well have turned to the Dark Side had it not been for his attachments to his sister and his wife. Are you saying we should have denied him that?"

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty, Master Chatak," Ydra Kilwallen observed. "From what Buffy has told us, it was Willow's attachment to her girlfriend that drove her to the Sith."

"Something that could have been prevented if she had been taken in by the Order and properly trained," Buffy shot back. "But you are right. What I'm saying is that while we shouldn't discourage or prohibit romantic or platonic attachments, we should teach caution and try to show our students how to control their feelings… and not let their feelings control them."

Teryl sighed and then nodded. "That would seem to be a reasonable compromise."

"And if they fail?" Ydra asked archly. This time Buffy sighed.

"Then we help them. That's why we are here, after all."

"There is one more thing we need to discuss," Roan said, "the age limit."

"If this has to do with Dawn…"

"No, surprisingly it doesn't," the Master replied. "When we return, we will be faced with the challenge of rebuilding the Order there. When we do that, we have to face the fact that many Force sensitives we find will be much older than we would like."

"Then I propose we consider Dawn a test," Chatak said. "Buffy was already and adult, but a trained warrior. Anakin was a small boy. Dawn is in the middle of the two ages and while she has some training, she is nowhere near her sister's level. Let us see how her training progresses, then we shall see if there needs to be an age limit or not."

"Then it is decided," Roan said, rising from his chair. "May the Force be with us."

* * *

Buffy made her way into the main building of the Watcher's Council that currently housed both the Slayers and Watchers in rather close quarters. Buffy remembered talking to Faith when they had settled down at Polis Massa, where the Slayer had told Buffy of everything that had transpired since her departure. She remembered Faith telling her that, when the Scoobies had arrived, the Slayers were being housed in the servant's quarters under the building (and being treated like servants, to boot). That had been changed for the most part before the Jedi had arrived, though a lot of Slayers were still being housed in the lower levels until Xander could complete the second new wing. But a lot of the Slayers and most of the Watchers were housed in the many rooms that adorned the old manor house the Council had taken over, which was where Buffy was headed now.

She made her way up the staircase and across the hall that overlooked the grand foyer. She passed the room that had been designated hers and that she in turn had passed on to Anakin and Padmé and walked past it, taking a left at the end of the hall and walking down towards the Slayer's temporary quarters. As she approached Dawn's room, she heard someone singing. Puzzled, she moved to her sister's open door and saw Dawn sorting though several boxes, dancing in place as she sang out the song she was listening to on her walkman.

_"Hey now you're an all star get your game on, go play  
Hey now you're a rock star get the show on get paid  
And all that glitters is gold  
Only shooting stars break the mold…"_

Buffy watched with an amused smile as her sister danced around the room, oblivious to her presence.

"She's happy, now," a voice said. Buffy turned as saw a young girl with short red hair lying on a bed in the room across from Dawn's. Buffy recognized her as Vi, one of the Slayer's Dawn had taken on. "She didn't used to be like this. She was always so serious, so…focused. She spent all of her free time looking for you and Willow. Now, she can just be herself."

Buffy paused to consider this while Dawn sung on.

_"It's a cool place and they say it gets colder  
You're bundled up now but wait 'til you get older  
But the meteor men beg to differ  
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture…"_

"She doesn't want to be a Watcher, I think."

Buffy spun and faced Vi, a surprised look on her face. "Really? When we talked, it seemed as if she enjoyed the job."

"She enjoys working with the girls, myself included, I hope," Vi responded glibly. "But she doesn't like sitting on the sidelines, writing reports. She doesn't like watching her Slayers get beat up. I think she mainly does it to make sure we get treated fairly. And to metaphorically spit in the face of Sir Nigel."

Buffy chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Thanks for the info, Vi."

""No problem. Nice to talk to you, Buffy," Vi replied, digging into her book once more. Buffy smiled and then turned back to Dawn's room. Subtly she reached out with the Force and shut off the walkman. Dawn stopped singing suddenly and looked down at the Walkman, then spun around when she caught Buffy out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Hey, Buffy!"

"Whatcha up to?"

"Just looking for some of my old notes on portal theory," Dawn said, turning back to the boxes in front of her. "Fred wanted to look them over for the portable portal." She shook her head. "We have got to come up with a better name for that." Grunting in triumph, she pulled out the notebook in question and then turned back to her sister. "So, what's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you about your training, actually. I realized I said that I was going to train you, but I never actually asked if you wanted to be trained. So I-"

"I do."

Buffy blinked. "You're sure? This won't be a walk in the park, Dawn. There're a lot of things you're going to have to learn all over again."

"Buffy, over the past few days, I've noticed a disturbing trend of Slayers doing exactly what I say," Dawn replied patiently. "And I mean that - exactly what I say. I'm influencing them like you influenced Sir Nigel and I don't like it. I don't like inadvertently taking away these girls' free will. That's just too similar to what the old Council used to do. So I want to be trained. Teach me how to control this. Please."

Buffy smiled and ruffled her sister's hair. "Of course, you know that means this all has to go."

"Don't remind me."

And so it came to be that Dawn officially became Buffy's Padawan learner. The first thing she did was to tender her resignation from the Watcher's Council to Giles, with the promise that she would always be on hand to lend a hand if needed.

The second thing she did was cut her hair.

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The first week was the hardest for Willow. She spent most of her time holed up in her room, which was more like an apartment; it consisted of a small living room, a kitchenette off to one side and a bedroom with an enclosed bathroom. She rarely left the room, except for a few occasions in the dead of night to restock the kitchenette. She flat out refused to speak to anybody, especially Tara, and took to locking the door and sealing it magically, ensuring that nothing living would be able to get in.

So she wasn't really surprised to see Angel and Spike sitting in the living room one night as she prepared to raid the kitchens.

"What's this? Mass-murderers anonymous?" she asked tiredly, bowing to the inevitable and plopping down in the chair across from them.

"We were worried about you, Willow," Angel said gently.

"And not just us, luv. Tara, Xander, Dawn… everybody," Spike added. Willow just snorted.

"Meanwhile, back in reality…" she crossed her arms and glared defiantly. "I was a Dark Lady of the Sith, boys. I know that doesn't mean much to you, but believe me - that means I was worse than the Master EVER was. I gave the orders that occupied worlds, that wiped out entire races. It was my orders that killed Buffy's child. Oh, yeah. She didn't mention it?" she said at their surprised looks. "That's right, Buffy got engaged, had a child and lost them all because of my orders. So forgive me for locking myself away; I'm just not aware of who would even want to be around me for real."

"I would."

Willow leapt and spun to face the owner of the voice, gaping in shock as she finally saw Tara standing in the darkened corner of the room. "How…"

"Did I get in, with all of your wards?" Tara finished. "You may be older than me now, Willow, but I still have years of experience on you when it comes to magic. I could have broken down your wards days ago."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because I wanted to give you time. Because I need to digest what Buffy told me about what you did… and I have. I think I understand now."

"Well, that makes one of us," Willow scoffed bitterly.

"Willow, dark magic changes a person," Tara explained calmly. "The real you gets buried deep down inside your own mind, while the magic itself crafts a whole new personality. Amy's mom, for example, was probably once a very loving, caring individual. It was only after years of being submerged in the darks arts that she turned into the evil woman you and Buffy managed to vanquish."

"She's not lying, Willow," Angel said. "I've seen it many times over the centuries."

"I'm not naïve, Willow," Tara said. "I accept that, while what we had once was special, we'll never have it again. But that doesn't mean I down want to be your friend, or that I don't want to help you."

Willow looked at the girl that had once held her heart, and that still did, to some extent and finally began to realize that perhaps she wasn't alone. Sighing, she sat down once more.

"How could you help me?"

"Well, I could teach you a thing or two about magic…"

And so over the next year, Willow and Tara reconnected. Not as lovers - they could never recapture what they had had for a few brief years; but as friends and colleagues. Tara made good on her promise on teaching Willow a thing or two about magic, taking to instructing her several times a week. And she found solace and comfort in her newfound friendships with both Angel and Spike, who could honestly say they knew exactly what she was going through; and in her friendship with Xander, which had never wavered. In her free time, she rebuilt a friendship with Giles, who had admitted to Willow that he had in fact held her back in Sunnydale and had told her he felt partially responsible for what had happened with her.

The only two relationships she couldn't seem to repair were her friendships to Buffy and Padmé. For Buffy, she had at least come to an uneasy truce with the blonde Jedi. Buffy was always cordial with her and never openly mean, but she remained distant and never talked to her outside of work concerns. As for Padmé - Willow had little hope in her heart that her sister would ever forgive her, a fact that was reinforced every time Padmé left the room when Willow entered.

In that first year, Willow had started down the road to redemption. But it was a long road and one she wasn't sure she could mange, even with her friends…

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They say no parent should ever bury their child. Likewise, no parent should ever be forced to leave their child behind. This was the thought that tore through the minds of both Padmé and Anakin during the first few weeks of their exile.

Both found ways to ignore the pain, though they never forgot it. Padmé spent her time setting up their new household, as well as working with Giles in establishing a steady relationship with the Watcher's Council. That alone called upon everything Padmé had ever learned about diplomacy and her meetings with Sir Nigel would have, at times, put her many sessions of the Senate to shame.

Anakin, meanwhile, decided to use the time to meditate, as well as build a new lightsaber to replace the one he had given to Qui-Gon for Luke. Seeing as they had limited supplies for lightsaber building, Anakin challenged himself to find most of the supplies for the handle in the Council's storehouse and he lucked out when he found an old Graflex camera light. Not the sturdiest thing for a lightsaber handle, but it would do in a flash, no pun intended.

After a few days, Anakin grew tired of meditation and for the first time wandered the halls of the new Council. He politely ignored the hungry looks and wolf-whistles that some of the more…rambunctious Slayers threw his way and made a mental note to ask Buffy to tell the Slayers that he was married. Wandering thought he halls of the main building, he recognized Buffy's laughter coming from down a side hallway and turned to go see her-

And was nearly bowled over by Dawn, sporting a new Padawan-style haircut.

"Don't say a word!" she growled at Anakin, who held his hands up in mock-defense.

"I wouldn't dare. I had to wear that look myself once."

Dawn grunted in response and started moving back down the hall. "Come by the lab later," she said over her shoulder. "Fred needs some readings for the portable portal."

"I will!" he called out to her, then turned to see Buffy coming towards him, chuckling silently to herself. "Were you trying to antagonize her?"

Buffy looked mock-affronted at the suggestion. "Really, Ani! Would I do something like that?"

"Yes."

Buffy laughed out loud at that. "Yeah, well…I've got fifteen years of antagonizing to make up for. Glad to see you out and about."

"I was getting stir-crazy and I'm starting to realize I can't just sit around and wait for Fred to work out the portal technology. I need to start working with the Younglings. Training with them, teaching them what I know…"

"That's a good idea," Buffy agreed. "I'm going to have my hands full with Dawn, especially in these first few months. Maybe you can start with youngest? Go over the basics and such. You can be the new Yoda - only taller and a little less green."

After Anakin had agreed, he had made his way to Fred's lab. Originally set up as another research room, the lab wasn't very big, and there was even less room thanks to the several long tables filled with various pieces of equipment that, to Anakin, look positively archaic.

"Sorry about the mess," Fred was saying, typing away furiously at her computer, "I've been using this old research room while Xander was building me a new lab in the Travers wing. Which is going to work out great now, since I'll need to interface my computers with your databanks for the portals. Just have a seat over there and I'll get these scans done in a jiffy."

Anakin moved over to the corner of the room, where an uncomfortable looking easy chair sat, surrounded by several sensors mounted on revolving arms. "What exactly will this do?" he asked, sitting down. Almost immediately the sensors started moving around his body.

"The sensors collect biometric data. What I'll do is program the data into the device, so when you open a portal it will lock onto a similar reading in the dimension you're going to. Theoretically, your son will have more of you in him than your daughter, so it should lock onto his biometric data and the same should work for Padmé and your daughter."

"That's rather ingenious," Anakin remarked. Though her face was still buried in the screen, the Jedi could feel her smile.

"It's more refined than what we did to find Buffy, but still along the same lines," she replied. "But once I get hooked into your database, Dawn had the idea that I could use your star charts to input coordinates into the portal itself, kind of like a navigation computer. Theoretically, we could then pre-program the portals to open up to different planets in your dimension, though it would only work from Earth to a designated planet.Of course, it would takes months to program and calculate each planet... there!" she exclaimed as the sensor stopped moving and fell silent. "All finished. Give me a few weeks and hopefully I'll be able to build you your very own portal opener."

"Thank you, Fred," Anakin said warmly. "You have no idea how much this means to Padmé and I."

"Hey, it's not problem!" the young physicist replied. "Nothing I like more than a challenge!"

As it turned out, they didn't have to wait long. Fred had a rudimentary Portable Portal Generator (which she in turned called a PPG) ready to go by the end of the month. Anakin and Padmé took the opportunity to visit Luke and the family on Tatooine for a few days, before returning and leaving for Naboo. The twins were already crawling, but they both seemed to recognize their parents when they arrived, a fact that they were both extremely happy about. Unfortunately they had to keep their visits short and spaced out, so before they knew it the twins were walking, then speaking, then running around. Every time they returned, they were saddened just a little bit by how much of their children's childhoods they were missing, yet glad that they were able to see any of it at all.

And thus that first year passed, with everybody adjusting to their new situation, new alliances being made and rules being set down. But it wasn't until their second year on Earth that things really started heating up for both Councils…

**TBC

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Next Chapter - Year Two of Exile: The Scoobies reconnect, Anakin makes peace with Willow, Obi-Wan and Buffy grow closer, And Dawn's training intensifies - as does her feelings for a young Jedi named Zett Jukassa

A/N: Dawn's singing was a bit of a nod to Michelle Trachtenberg in Inspector Gadget. She sings the same song in the Gadget-Mobile. Also, a somewhat-known fact- the first lightsaber created for Luke for the original Star Wars movie was created out of a Graflex camera flash. Also, if memory serves, part of Obi-Wans lightsaber was an old WWII era pineapple grenade.

And here we are, where it all begins...again. One year ago today, I posted the first chapter of a little story that would dominate my writing time and push all other stories to the side for over a year. And now, here we go again. Just so you know- it woun't be weekly. I'm not entirely sure when I'll post chapter 2. But posting the first chapter of my new trilogy on the one year aniversary of the first trilogy was too good to pass up. Soon, though, I'll really start posting, as well as start posting 'Finding Avalon', which got delayed when my almost finished first chapter got accidently deleted. So untill next time- Viva la Rasa!


	2. In Exile: Year 2

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

**Episode 4 Chapter 2**

**In Exile: Year 2

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The second year of the Jedi exiled dawned with, well… a scream.

It was quite by accident. Really. Master Shryne would attest to that fact for years to come. He had merely sent the young Knight Zett Jukassa to fetch Dawn to help with some routine translations. He had helpfully suggested that he start looking for her in her room.

And he had accidentally forgotten to mention she just finished another marathon training day and may be in the shower when he got there.

At Master Shryne's behest, Zett made his way down the corridors of the Watcher's Council towards Dawn's room. As it had wanted to do recently, his mind wandered to the changes wrought in his life over the past few years. A product of the 'old teachings', as some had come to call them, Zett was very much a model of what the older Masters like Mace Windu and Ki-Adi-Mundi had expected in their Jedi - unwaveringly dedicated to the Order, dedicated to preserving life, upholding truth, justice and whatnot. It was the whatnot that made him think these days, as he found himself surprisingly willing to follow the new Code that the Council had laid down not a year ago. In some ways, it was liberating - he had always harbored the desire to let his emotions go at times, to fall in love… feelings that had only intensified as he watched a certain brown-haired, silver eyed Padawan being put through her paces over the past year by Master Skywalker.

As he came to her room, he quickly quashed those emotions as he had done for years before and knocked on the door. After a few moment he heard a muffled voice say 'Come in!', so he opened the door and stepped inside-

To come face to face with a very wet, very naked Dawn Summers.

"Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

"Oh my…."

Zett whipped around quickly, even as Dawn used the Force to summon a towel from the bathroom.

"What the FUCK do you think you're doing! Barging in here -"

"You said 'come in'!"

"I said 'coming'!" Dawn growled, securing the towel around her body. "Now what do you want?"

"Master Shryne asked me to come get you for some translations," Zett said. Then, before he could stop himself, he added, "If it makes you feel better, you looked really, really good."

Dawn's eyes narrowed and she violently reached out to the force, shoving Zett out of the room and into the adjoining wall. Another nudge from the Force slammed her door shut. Gingerly he rubbed his chest and then turned back to the now closed door.

"Anger leads to the Dark Side, Dawn!"

"Beat it, before I shove your lightsaber up your ass, Zett!"

* * *

"Roan, what the hell are you playing at?" 

Roan Shryne looked up form the book he had borrowed from Dawn and looked at his fellow Jedi Master impassively. "To what are you referring, Master Skywalker?"

Buffy stood with her arms crossed, staring down at her friend. "Don't play dumb, Roan; although you're certainly good enough at it. I'm referring to the tizzy you've put my apprentice in over the past few days. I'm referring to the little meetings you've orchestrated between Dawn and Zett. What are you playing at, Roan?"

He nonchalantly turned a page. "Nothing. Just giving nature a slight - nudge, you might say."

Buffy blinked. "You're setting up my sister?"

"It's a brave new world, Buffy. And a whole new Order. A lot of the Younglings look up to Zett. And if we want to get across to them that the Jedi are evolving from what they've been taught, what better example than the best and the brightest falling in love?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed. "When Dawn finds out, you're in for a world of hurt."

"You'll protect me."

"I'll laugh," Buffy retorted with a smirk. "I'm off to help Sera with lightsaber training." With a casual wave, she turned and headed out of the room.

Roane chuckled to himself. "Mischief managed," he said softly, closing the copy of 'Prisoner of Azkaban' Dawn had lent him and rising to hunt down his apprentices.

* * *

Xander walked into the large gym in the Travers wing just as Aayla and Buffy were finishing up with the older Padawans. 

"Remember, a Jedi feels the Force flowing through them," Aayla was saying. "No matter what happens, maintain your calm and stay focused on the task at hand."

"Let the Slayers take the lead," Buffy added. "Sir Nigel wants us to start pulling our weight around here and, short of giving the Slayers lightsabers, the best way to do that is by patrolling with them. I think it's a perfect way to get combat experience - just remember that you can gain experience by observing as well. Watch how the Slayers move, how they fight. If they need help, then defer to their judgment on how you can best do that. And if you go up against vampires, a quick decapitation is the best bet. Any questions?" The group answered in a resounding foe. "Then may the Force be with you. Good hunting!"

The small group proceeded out of the gym, saying hello to Xander as they passed. The young man's easy-going attitude and quick wit had made him a popular figure among the young Jedi. He gave them all a quick wave.

"Remember," he called out to them, "a good Watcher or Slayer will laugh in the face of danger. Literally - the bad guys hate it. Crack some jokes and they'll never see you coming!"

"Good advice, Xander," Buffy laughed.

"Xander," Aayla said, bowing her head in respect. Xander flashed her his charmer smile.

"Aayla. How's the new windows?"

"Wonderful and thank you again for installing them."

"Hey, it's what I do!" he said modestly. Aayla chuckled.

"Well, you two obviously have something to talk about," the Twi'lek said. "I'll leave you to it. Master Skywalker, Xander."

The two said their goodbyes and Buffy couldn't help but smirk at Xander as he watched the Jedi Master leave the room.

"Looking to keep the streak intact, huh?" she asked jokingly. "You sure do set your sights high."

"Eh, human girls are boring. And Aayla is sure a lot safer than most of the girls I dated."

"I should introduce you to some Barabels I met before the war. They'd be right up your alley."

Xander looked at her quizzically and then shook his head. "No, I don't want to know. Look, can we talk?" he asked, suddenly serious. Buffy eyed him warily.

"Alright," she said. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about Willow."

Buffy sighed in annoyance. "Well, as the great prophet Jagger once said, 'You can't always get what you want'."

"Yeah, but if you try some time, you just might get what you need," Xander shot back. "It's been a year and you barely say two words to her anytime you see her."

"We have issues."

"Work them out!" Xander shot back. "I thought you Jedi were supposed to be all about peace and forgiveness and crap. What kind of double standard is this?"

"You have NO idea what I went through!" Buffy shouted back, her temper wearing thin. Xander shook his head.

"No, I have a very good idea, thanks to Ben."

"Ben talks too much."

"No, he talks more than you. There's a difference. Buffy, he told me. He told me how many times you could have killed her, but held back because you wanted to save her. What changed?"

"What changed is that she gave the order that killed my family," Buffy growled out.

"She gave the order that killed millions of families!" Xander shouted back. "What's the difference?"

"Because you don't know what it's like until it happens to you," she shouted back, tears springing to her eyes. "You don't know what it's like to know that someone you considered to be your best friend betrays you like that."

"No, I don't," Xander said, his temper waning. "But, Buffy… things have changed. She's not that monster anymore. She's hurting and she needs you. Why can't you just let it go?"

"BECAUSE IT HURTS!" Buffy yelled, openly sobbing. "I l-look at Dawn and I see w-what Joyce might have become! I look at y-y-you and I see the man that Jacen was, what Han would have become! Everyday I'm reminded of what she took away and it hurts!"

"It won't stop hurting, Buffy," Xander murmured. "It will never stop hurting. But you can make it hurt a little bit less if you would just make peace. Please, Buffy," he pleaded. "It's time to put some demons to rest."

* * *

Willow sat on her couch, looking through some older mystical books that Tara had provided for her to study. They had once belonged to Tara's mother and went in-depth into several types of healing magics - magics that Willow had a keen interest in these days. The past year had been an eye-opener to her in terms of magic - she had learned so much from her former girlfriend. Not so surprisingly she learned that the majority of the magic she had practiced in the other dimension had been dark - even the healing spell she had used on Shmi was rooted in dark magic. 

Well, never again she had told herself. She had dedicated herself to her studies, working tirelessly to rid herself of the vestiges of Darth Traya. Willow leaned back into the couch, stretching her stiff back and taking the time to re-secure her long red hair behind her head before leaning forward once more to delve into the secrets of ancient magic. A knock on the door, though, brought her up short.

"Coming!" the red head shouted, gracefully rising from her seat and crossing the room to the door. She opened the door-

And gasped.

Buffy stood just outside her room. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes were in disarray and a sickeningly familiar haunted look played over her face.

"Buffy!"

"Hi, Willow," Buffy started hesitantly. "Can I come in?"

"Of course!" Willow exclaimed, moving to the side and gesturing her in. "Please, come in."

Hesitantly Buffy made her way into the small apartment. She spied the many books that littered the coffee table. "Are you in the middle of something? Because I could come back…"

"No!" Willow exclaimed. "I mean, I was just doing some studying, but I've been meaning to take a break. Can I get you some tea? I was about to make some…"

"Actually, I could use something a bit stronger," Buffy said, taking Willows' proffered seat on the couch. The witch smiled and moved to the kitchenette.

"I got just the thing," she called out and then let out a triumphant, "ah-ha!" Moments later, she came back into the living room with two glasses in one hand and a bottle of liquor in the other. Buffy moved some of the books to the floor and Willow set down the glasses and poured some of the amber liquid into each glass. Buffy lifted the glass and sniffed it hesitantly, then pulled back in surprise.

"Where the hell did you get Corellian brandy?"

Willow smiled as she took a sip of her drink. "Fred got the PPG working at 100. I asked her to take a trial run to Corellia for supplies."

"Nice."

"I thought so."

The two sipped their drinks in silence for a few moments, before Willow spoke.

"So…I know you didn't come here to share drinks with me, Buffy. What did you want to talk about?"

Buffy sat nursing her drink in silence for a few moments, before finally she sighed. "I'm tired, Will. I'm tired of hating you, tired of blaming you… I spent years hoping that I could bring you back, turn you away from the Dark Side, regardless of what you did. It was only after Jacen died and I learned that you gave the order to attack that I started - not caring. Resenting, even. Me saving you became less about getting my friend back, and more about a form of revenge." She smiled ruefully. "Not very Jedi of me."

"But understandable all the same," Willow replied. "Look, Buffy…I made a lot of mistakes over there, the least of which was following Dooku and Palpatine. I hurt billions of people, tore apart millions of families. But the ones that weigh on my conscience most are yours and Padmé's." Willow took a deep calming breath and then pressed on. "I can't begin to tell you how much I regret what I did and I can't begin to make up for it. All I can do is tell you that I'm sorry and try to make up for at least a small part of that in any way I can."

"I don't want you to say you're sorry," Buffy said forcefully. Then she sighed and added in a soft voice, "I just want my friend back."

Willow blinked back tears, hope blossoming in her heart. "I would like that, too."

The two spent the next several hours just talking. For the first time in nearly seventeen years, Buffy and Willow cleared the air between them, aired their grievances and talked out their issues. By the time Xander dropped by sometime around midnight for a late night Indian movie-fest, the two had started rebuilding the foundation to their friendship. Both new it would take time, patience and understanding, but they were resolved to working it out.

* * *

Later the next night, Dawn was walking through the main building on an errand for Master Shryne when she spied one of the most beautiful sights she had seen in a long time- 

Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles; geared up and heading out.

"Hey guys," Dawn said cheerfully. "Where are you off to?"

"Well, we don't want our Padawans to have all of the fun," Buffy smirked. "So we decided to go out on patrol." She paused for a moment, seemingly sizing up her sister. "Want to come? Could be in lieu of lessons."

Dawn shook her head. "Nah, that's okay. I got stuff to do for Master Shryne; you all go on."

"All right, have it your way," Buffy said, giving her sister a hug. "I'll see you later."

"Yes, Master," Dawn said in her usual mocking voice. Buffy playfully slapped Dawn on her arm, before turning and heading towards the door with the rest of the Scoobies.

"So, where to?" she asked. "Any good cemeteries around here?"

"Yeah, but there's also a good mini-golf course, too," Xander replied.

"Ooh, mini-golf!" Willow exclaimed and then sighed wistfully. "I missed that."

"Surely there are more pressing areas to patrol than a mini-golf course?" Giles interjected, slightly exasperated.

"Only if there's a mall around. I need new shoes."

"I need new tops. Short sleeves don't work on me like they used to."

"Tell me about it."

"I could use a few new things…"

"And here I am, oblivious to the eye…" Giles sighed, trailing behind the three as they walked out the door. "The Earth is definitely doomed."

Dawn smiled as the door closed, tears of happiness forming in her eyes. Vi, who had been wandering the halls, saw the tears and came up to her friend.

"Dawn? Is everything all right?" she asked. Dawn wiped the tears away and nodded.

"It is now," she said with a smile. "The band's back together."

* * *

"You know, we really have to stop meeting like this." 

Dawn stood, her moth gaping like a fish out of water and her eyes wide, in the doorway to Zett's quarters. Inside stood Zett, fresh from the shower and naked as the day he was born. The young Jedi Knight couldn't help but smirk at Dawn's expression.

"See anything you like?" he continued, causing the young girl to turn a brilliant shade of red before she quickly turned around.

"I don't know," Dawn retorted after a moment, finally regaining some of her composure. "There wasn't much there to see."

"Ouch Dawn. That really hurts."

"You know, I think I preferred all of you Jedi before you learned the art of witty bantering." She paused for a moment, "Though I hope you're still learning, 'cause you suck. And no 'sucking' joke!" she added hastily. "And put some damn pants on, would you?"

There was a brief rustling of cloth and then Zett's voice called out, "You can turn around now." Dawn turned to see that, thankfully, he had put on some pants. "Now, is there a reason you barged into my room?"

"You said 'come in'."

"I said 'coming'."

Dawn huffed. "Whatever. Master Shryne sent-" she paused suddenly, considering something and then scowled. "Why that crafty, conniving son of a bitch!"

"I'm still in the room."

"Not you, Zippy. Shryne!" Dawn exclaimed irritably. "He's setting us up!"

"What do you mean, 'setting us up'?" Zett asked as he pulled on his shirt.

"He's taking the whole 'attachments aren't a bad thing' to a whole new level and he's starting to play matchmaker. Lucky for me, he started with us," she finished sarcastically.

"So, what? He want's us to…copulate?" Zett asked. Dawn shuddered.

"God, I hope not," she replied. "No, he probably just thinks we should date or something."

"Oh." Zett said at length. "Well then, why don't we?"

Dawn looked at him startled. "What?"

"Well, maybe if we - go out - he might get off of our backs," Zett reasoned. "At the very least, he might stop sending us to each other when we're naked. Not that I'm complaining…."

"You pig…wait, are you asking me out?" she said suddenly, realization hitting. "Like out on a date?"

"Well, there are worse fates out there."

"You really want to go on a date with me," she stated. "Why? And it better not be because you saw me naked!"

"It's not." He paused for a moment. "Okay, maybe a bit, but the reason I'm asking is that, well, I enjoy your company. You're so different than anybody I've ever known and so much more than any Jedi I've ever worked with. And while I'm not entirely sure how I feel about you, I'd like the opportunity to find out."

Dawn considered him for a moment. "You're serious about this?"

"I am," Zett replied. "Of course, I have absolutely no idea what to do or how I would pay for it. Unless the Council would like to convert republic credits into Earth money?"

Dawn chuckled fondly. "Tell you what. You talk to Wes and have him draw some money out of the Council's miscellaneous budget and I'll choose the place."

"Excellent," Zett said with a smile. "Then I guess I shall pick you up at your quarters tomorrow night, at around seven?"

"That sounds like a plan," Dawn said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find Shryne and kick his ass."

"And I need to finish getting dressed."

"Right!" Dawn stood uncertainly at the door, then turned and walked away, doing her best to hide her smile. Unseen to her, Zett closed his door to finish getting dressed, a smile of his own never leaving his lips.

**TBC

* * *

**

A/N:

The next chapter we'll see more of Dawn and Zett's relationship, Dawn and Willow in lightsaber training, Buffy and Obi-Wan growing closer and we'll see what Anakin and Padmé are up to as they travel into their home galaxy to bury Shmi.

In chapter four, we'll follow the Jedi and Slayers as they ramp up training and follow Dawn as she risks a trip to the old Jedi Temple on Coruscant to retrieve Jedi artifacts - and goes sword to sword with a young Mara Jade.

In Episode 4, I have dedicated four chapters to establishing what  
happened in the four years of their exile on Earth. But, aside from  
some small cases, I haven't gone in-depth into what was going on. I  
have no scenes with Slayers and JEdi patroling together or anything  
like that.

But you can change that.

Here is the criteria-

Write what happens when Slayers and Jedi patrol together. Include  
random cemetary sweeps on up to impending Apocalypse's. Dramatis  
Personae include"

Buffy Skywalker; Jedi Master, Slayer (female human)  
Willow Rosenberg-Naberrie; Force-Sensitive Witch (female human)  
Anakin Skywalker; Jedi Master (human male)  
Padmé Skywalker (female human)  
Obi-Wan Kenobi; Jedi Master (human male)  
Aayla Secura; Jedi Master (female Twi'lek)  
Bol Chatak; Jedi Master (male Zabrak)  
Roan Shryne; Jedi Master (human male)  
Ydra Kilwallen; Jedi Master (female Mirialan)  
Teryl Sibwarra; Jedi Master (Female Kuat)  
Zett Jukassa; Jedi Knight (human male)  
Serra Keto, Jedi Knight (human female)  
Olee Starstone, Jedi Padawan (female human)  
Dawn Summers, Watchers, Jedi Padawan (female human)  
Lord Nigel Ambrose-Bellairs, Head, Watcher's Council (male human)  
Xander Harris, Wather's Council Represenative (male human)  
Rupert Giles, Senior Watcher (male human)  
Faith Lehane, Senior Slayer (female human)  
Wesley Whyndam-Pryce, Watcher (male human)  
Winefred Burkle, Council Tech Specialist (female human)  
Spike, Council Operative (male vampire)  
Angel, Council Operative (male vampire)

You can set up any relationships you like, but there are three  
standing relationships that you CANNOT change- Buffy/Obi-Wan,  
Dawn/Zett Jukassa, and Xander/Aayla.

Feel free to post your stories anyplace you wish, but I would request  
that you upload a copy to this site, as I'd like to compile them.


	3. In Exile: Year 3

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

* * *

**Episode 4 Chapter 3**

**In Exile: Year 3

* * *

**

"It's preposterous."

"It's impossible. The energy needs alone…"

"…Are no problem for a matter-antimatter reactor!"

"There is no such thing as a matter-antimatter reactor!"

"Then how do you power your ships, hmm? Don't try and cover up your government secrets from us! We have ways of making you talk!"

"Okay, no more caffeine for Andrew."

"What's going on?"

Buffy was leaning on the doorframe to the den where Andrew, Jonathon, Dawn, Vi, Zett, Xander and Aayla sat watching an old sci-fi movie. Well, watching was a subjective term - arguing around the movie was a more apt description, as they spent more time talking at each other than they did watching the old flick.

Dawn and Zett sat together, his arm around her shoulder. They had finally gotten together after a rather hilarious first date attempt several months ago and since then they had been nearly inseparable. The exception was during their Jedi training, in which case they maintained a friendly working relationship out of deference to the other, more stringent Council members.

Aayla and Xander, however, had come out of left field to everybody except for Buffy and Willow. Due to the occasional hyper-sexual drives of the Twi'lek species, Buffy hadn't had many doubts about Aayla adjusting to the new codes of the Council and had been happy when her Jedi friend had begun reciprocating the feelings her old friend had been broadcasting for some time. They had begun dating only weeks ago, but it looked to be going well.

Dawn looked over to her sister with a grin. "Andrew and Jonathon are bemoaning the fact that you guys didn't have transporters."

"Transporters are a must!" Andrew proclaimed. "Man, if Captain Kirk showed up in your galaxy, he could kick all of your butts."

"Maybe, but Captain Janeway could kick Kirks'," Jonathan argued, launching a heated argument between the two and drawing amused grins from the others. Buffy rolled her eyes.

"I've traveled the galaxy, visited dozens of worlds, met with hundreds of different species - and I end up living with these two," she sighed. "God hates me."

"But we love you, Master," Dawn said sweetly. Buffy scowled at her sister.

"Shouldn't you be practicing your saber techniques?"

"Yes, Master."

"Why is it every time you say 'Yes, Master' it sounds like 'bite me'?"

"Funny, she doesn't look like Spike…" Vi joked, then turned away abashed at the look on Buffy's face. She was about to reply when Fred came running up to her.

"Buffy, thank God I found you!" she said, pausing a moment to catch her breath. Buffy noted the concern on her face instantly.

"What's wrong?" she asked and Fred pinned her with a pained look.

"I just got a burst transmission from Tatooine," she said. "Your mother died last night."

* * *

"Anakin, are you here?" 

Padmé entered their small apartment and tossed her light jacket to the couch - though it stopped a few inches from the surface, hovering in the air. Then slowly, it was pulled back into the air and placed gently on the hook on the wall by the door. Padmé chuckled. "I guess you are."

"Hi, Angel," Anakin said, leaning on the doorway to their bedroom. "How was the meeting?"

"Tiring, as always," Padmé replied ruefully, "though on the bright side, Sir Nigel has said the Slayer squads' efficiency has increased by over 150 percent with the Padawans tagging along. And he's intrigued by our newly expanded medical facilities, thanks to the equipment Fred's recovery teams have acquired from home."

"Has she said when they can speed up the acquisitions?"

"A few weeks, at least."

Anakin sighed. "And yet, we still can't see our kids more often."

Padmé moved to her husband's arms and gently put a hand on his cheek. "You know the longer we stay, the more likely it is that Palpatine would sense our presence, which would bring him and his agents to Tatooine…"

"Which would lead him to Luke and then Leia. I know…." he trailed off, a frown forming on his face. Padmé took notice immediately.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Buffy's' on her way here," Anakin replied. "And something terrible has happened." He gestured at the door, using the Force to open it just as Buffy stopped outside. "Buffy, what's wrong?"

Buffy looked back at her brother, her eyes full of unshed tears. "Ani, it's mom," she said quietly. "She's dead."

* * *

The current residents of they Skywalker farm revolved between muffled sobs and deafening silence. Owen and Beru sat on the sofa, with Beru's arm holding her husband close. Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie were there as well, sitting next to the sadden couple. And across the room, Luke Skywalker sat hunched over, his eyes red from crying, even as his sister Lei tried to comfort him. 

Suddenly there was a flash and for an instant a purple-white cloud formed in the living room. The next instant Buffy, Anakin and Padmé appeared and the portal vanished. Owen was on his feet the next moment and pulled Anakin into a brotherly hug.

"Anakin, I'm glad you could make it."

"How…"

"She passed during the night, Ani. There was no pain," Owen assured the Jedi. He nodded and then looked over to his children. Leia was sobbing quietly in her mother's arms. His eyes moved over to his son's face which looked up and glared at him. Anakin felt a surge of anger from his son and then Luke was gone, running out of the house.

"Luke-" he started, but stopped when Beru put a restraining hand on his arm.

"He's taken Shmi's death hard, Anakin," she said. "And he's been frustrated often lately. Give him some time to calm down."

Anakin looked in the direction his son had gone, but only nodded in resignation.

* * *

Buffy stood silently in Shmi's room, looking at the body of the second woman she had called mother as it lay peacefully on her bed. Shmi had managed to age gracefully, even on this hellish planet. She had even outlived her husband Cliegg, who had died several years earlier. She once told Buffy that she suspected Willow was the reason for that, as whatever the witch had done to heal her had completely healed her, restoring her health to pristine condition. Idly, Buffy wondered how Anakin would react to that little tidbit. Buffy smiled a little at that, and then sobered once more as she sensed her brother's presence behind her. 

"How's Luke?" Anakin's sigh told her everything she needed to know. "Don't worry about him, Ani. He's fifteen, his grandmother just died and he probably resents you for not being here more often. Just give him some time and then go talk to him."

"You think that's all this is? Some kind of phase he's going through?"

"Yeah. I went through the same thing with my dad when he disappeared," Buffy replied. "The thing about you is that you at least try to be here for him."

Anakin nodded and silently stared at his mother. "How are you holding up, Buffy?" he asked at length. Buffy sighed and shrugged.

"I've now lost two mothers. You'd think it would get easier over time, but it really doesn't."

"I know what you mean," Anakin replied, as both took to a silent vigil over their mother's body.

* * *

"How are things on Naboo, Leia?" 

Padmé sat with her daughter and her parents in the den, using this time to catch up with her family. It had been several weeks since their last visit - several months for Leia, and Padmé wanted to know everything.

"I've been admitted into the Apprentice Legislator's guild and I'm working directly under Queen Serena. Some around the temple have started calling me Princess." Padmé smiled at that. "I hope to take my place in the Senate in a few years. Senator Organa from Alderaan has already contacted me to say he would sponsor me when the time came…"

"Bail is an old friend of mine; as well as a good man. You would learn a lot from him," Padmé said. "How are you dealing with this?"

"All right, I guess," Leia said with a sigh, glancing at her grandparents that had moved to talk with Owen and Beru. "I wasn't as close to her as Luke was. But she was still my grandmother. And if anything, it's brought home the point that Granma and Grandpa Naberrie won't be around for much longer."

"The Jedi used to teach that death was a natural progression of life," Padmé said at length, not dwelling on her own parents' mortality. "And that when a person passed on, their life force would become one with the Force. So I choose to believe that, even though their physical bodies will be gone, their spirits will live on." Padmé smiled slightly. "That's something, at least."

"You knew Jedi?" Leia asked incredulously and Padmé had to fight not to wince. She and Anakin had decided that it would be safer not to reveal to their children that their father was a Jedi and so, by extension, were they.

"Yes. When I was Queen of Naboo and later Senator, the Jedi assisted me several times," she said finally, opting to tell the truth - from a certain point of view. No need to mention it was their father that helped her out the second time. Leia grinned with awe.

"Stang!"

"Language, Leia!"

* * *

Luke stood outside to homestead looking out into the distance as the Twins slowly sank to the horizon. Behind him lay the family graveyard - Cliegg and his parents already rest there and Luke had just finished digging the latest plot for his grandmother. Now he stood, looking over the plains of Tatooine, angrily wiping away the tears that didn't seem to stop coming. He was so lost in his grief that he didn't hear the footsteps approaching. 

"Luke? It's almost time," Anakin said, coming up behind his son. At his silence, Anakin looked over the plains to the slowly setting twin suns. "I forgot how beautiful a sight this was."

"Maybe if you stuck around longer, you'd remember it better," Luke snapped. "I'm surprised you actually showed up. It's not like you actually care about us…"

"That hardest part of coming here," Anakin said calmly, burying the hurt deep down in his gut, "is knowing that I have to leave again. Knowing that every time I come here, you will be a few months older, a few inches taller. Knowing that I've missed everything - your first steps, your first words." He looked at his son. "I know I haven't been here for you, son. And you have no idea how sorry I am for that."

"I don't need your excuses," Luke shouted, his arms folding tightly. "I need you to be here! You're my father and that's what you're supposed to do."

"I am here now, Luke," Anakin said patiently. "Staying away is the only way I know of to keep you safe. And that's more important to me than anything."

"Why!" Luke exclaimed. "Why do you need to keep me safe? Safe from what?"

"I can't tell you that, son," Anakin said heavily. Luke's jaw clenched in aggravation.

"Then talk to me again when you can tell me," he growled as he stalked back into the hovel.

* * *

**EARTH

* * *

**

"Hold!"

Dawn deactivated her lightsaber and mopped her brow with the sleeve of her robe. Sera Keto deactivated her blades and hooked them back on her belt, all the while looking pointedly at Dawn.

"Are you here, Padawan?" she asked. "Because your moves were exceptionally sloppy today. More so than usual."

Dawn sighed in annoyance. "I was never good with a sword. Just ask Giles - I was terrible at fencing. The bow staff, though… he always said I was brilliant with that."

"Actually, I was thinking that perhaps your mind was somewhere else. Tatooine, perhaps?" Dawn rolled her eyes, and Sera persisted. "Dawn, I understand that your mother passed away, but you need-"

"She was NOT my mother!" Dawn exclaimed vehemently, taking Sera aback. "Look, Shmi took my sister in, gave her a home and a family when she needed one. For that, I was always grateful to her and I always respected her. But she was not my mother. I had a mother and she died several years ago," she finished calmly. "I'm serious, Sera. I'm just no good with this thing."

Sera sighed. "Well, you need to be good, especially if you want to become a Jedi Knight. I want you to practice for two hours tonight before your meditations, alright?"

"Yes, Master," Dawn said and Sera nodded.

"Good. You can start now. I have a meeting with Master Shryne."

"Be careful, or he'll try to set you up with somebody," Dawn said. "He's gotten a big head since me and Zett got together."

Sera chuckled as she made her way to the door - and nearly ran into Willow. Sera's smile instantly vanished, replaced by a hard face simmering with barely controlled anger.

"Ms. Rosenberg."

Willow bowed her head. "Master Keto."

Sera didn't reply, she merely stepped around the witch and stalked off. Willow let loose the breath she had been holding. "I see she still hates my guts," she quipped. Dawn shrugged.

"You did kill her Master," the young Jedi pointed out earnestly.

"Yeah, there was that…" Willow trailed off as she looked around the training room. "Still working on saber training, huh? How's that going?"

"In short - it sucks," Dawn grumbled. "I'm terrible with swords - I just want to hack and slash. I got no style, no rhythm - hell, even GILES admitted that."

"You're at a disadvantage, Dawn," Willow said calmly looking over the various lightsabers on display. "Most Padawans are trained from a very young age in how to wield a lightsaber. They are taught that the lightsaber is an extension of themselves - a part of them. They can feel the Force through it, and the Force can direct it. It's almost like a living thing," she sighed. "But you are having to unlearn all you have learned about how to handle a weapon. Unfortunately, as you've said, you've never been good with a sword. That presents a bit of a paradox for you - how can you learn to yield the weapon of a Jedi when you can't successfully wield a Jedi weapon?"

"Don't suppose you have an answer for me, oh great and powerful Will?" Dawn replied.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Willow smiled and moved over to the archive computer terminal Fred had installed in the wall. Deftly she turned it on and started rapidly scrolling through the tactical database until she reached the file on Jedi weapons. A few moments later, an image formed in the air and the witch turned back to the now-smiling Dawn. "Simply put, you should play to your strengths…"

* * *

The service was short. Anakin and Owen lowered the body of Shmi Skywalker into the grave and covered her over with Luke's help; Luke made it a point to stay as far from his father as he could. They each said a few words, celebrating and mourning the life and loss of one of the most important women in all of their lives. 

Luke stood next to his guardians and kept his eyes on the ground. When the tears started flowing again, he struggled to hold in his emotions. Leia stood between her aunt and her mother, staring at the gravesite.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be here more, mom," Anakin said softly, kneeling on the ground at her grave. "I'm sorry for a lot of things. But I give you my word that I will see justice brought back to this galaxy and your family, _my _family, won't have to live in the shadows anymore."

Buffy was last. Once more she found herself kneeling at the grave of her mother - not the one who had given birth to her, but the one who had given _life _to her.

"Thank you, Mom. Thank you for everything."

Afterwards, everyone gathered backing the homestead as the Skywalkers prepared to leave.

"I'm sorry we couldn't stay longer, sweetheart," Anakin told Leia, pulling her in for a hug and kissing the top of her head.

"It's alright, Dad. I understand," she said, then quietly added, "Give Luke time; he will too." Anakin nodded to his youngest child as she stepped back. He saw Luke giving his mother a stiff hug and as she moved away he moved to hug him. Luke saw him and scowled.

"I don't want anything to do with you," the boy snarled. "Just go run away like you always do. It's not like you care about us anyway!"

"Luke!" Anakin called out as his son ran out of the hovel and then he sighed in defeat. Owen looked at him apologetically.

"He'll come around, Ani," he said. Anakin looked back and nodded.

"I hope so."

* * *

When they returned to Earth and the Council, Padmé headed back to their quarters while Buffy and Anakin headed to the training room to spar. It was well after midnight and the campus was quiet. Most Slayers were either on patrol or out clubbing; a few of the Padawans took sentry duties for the night. 

"He'll come around, Ani," Buffy said as they walked. Anakin sighed.

"Everybody keeps saying that."

Buffy's mind flashed back to her last few seconds with Luke. She had told him to go easier on his father and trust that when Anakin felt he was ready he would tell him. He had told her to stop acting like her brother.

"He's a fifteen-year-old, angst-ridden teenager who just lost the closet thing he had to a mother. He loves you and Padmé; with Padmé he can still show it. But with you - well, you're a larger-than-life character. He hears about how great a person you are; but he never hears why. He wants to look up to you, but he can't find a reason to since you always seem to be running away. You just need to give him some time and space. Soon or later, he'll come around."

"Yeah, hopefully before the Empire's at his doorstep."

The two reached the training room just as Dawn was exiting. She spied the two Masters and instantly moved her right hand behind her back.

"Hi, guys!" she said, a bit too cheerfully. "How was the service?"

"It was nice," Buffy said slowly, trying to puzzle her out. "You would have been welcome…"

"I would have been out of place," Dawn replied. "You know my feelings on the subject. I was grateful to her, but I didn't know her well enough to love her like you."

"I understand," Buffy replied. "Now, what's behind your back?"

"Uh…nothing?" Dawn replied hopefully.

"You DO know I can read your mind, right?"

"You know you're not allowed to take a lightsaber out of the training hall, Dawn," Anakin said. "You're only permitted to train with one, not carry one. No exceptions."

"I know, I know," Dawn said. "I was just taking it back to the lab to work on it a bit…"

"NO exceptions," Buffy repeated. Dawn sighed.

"Come with me," she said, then turned and walked back in the training room. The two Masters followed. Dawn stood with her back to them, her hands in front hiding the supposed lightsaber from view.

"You know how I have problems with lightsabers?"

"Yeah, you suck," Buffy said bluntly.

"Very astute," Dawn replied dryly. "My problems stem from how I was trained with swords initially - hack and slash. That and the fact that I just have no grace with a sword whatsoever. Well, I was practicing today and I had a conversation with Willow."

Anakin's face darkened, but Buffy put a restraining hand on his arm.

"And what did she say?" the Slayer asked.

"That I should play to my strengths."

Dawn spun around and ignited the blade on her lightsaber - both of them, one at each end of the extended handle. Clinically, Buffy could see that Dawn had crudely attached two training sabers together, end on end. But in her mind, she saw another dual-bladed saber, wielded by a Dark Lord of the Sith on Naboo over eighteen years ago.

"Dawn…what the fuck?"

"Giles always said I was top in the defense class when it came to the Bo staff," she explained, twirling the dual blades around. "It was better suited to me than a sword. I like the balance, the reach. I was acrobatic when I was younger - but the Jedi training has really accentuated it. And now I don't need to learn a new style to use it - I can use my own style for now and learn as I grow."

"Are you any good with it?" Anakin asked. Dawn shrugged.

"I was practicing on drones for the past few hours. I was going to try and fine tune this so I could practice with Sera tomorrow… unless you want to go," she added to her stepbrother.

Anakin shook his head. "I wouldn't presume. Buffy?"

"I'd presume," She said, pulling out her lightsaber and igniting the silver blade. "And Dawn? Don't hold back."

Dawn smirked, brought her right blade up in salute and attacked.

The two moved as if in a dance, a graceful ballet off spinning, multicolored blades. Every time Buffy would strike, Dawn would parry and riposte almost instantly. Buffy was amazed with the speed and grace her sister was moving at - something she had showed only hints at during her training, but had never reached. She realized with a start that Dawn was using Juyo, the seventh form of lightsaber combat and very similar to her own form of Vaapad. Both were highly advanced forms of combat and Buffy was amazed that Dawn could utilize it with such style and grace.

Buffy lunged, Dawn pushed the blade away and cart wheeled to the left, striking out with her foot and catching Buffy in the jaw. She immediately followed it up with a jab to the gut that Buffy sidestepped, followed by swinging cut to her head that she ducked. Momentarily forgetting herself, Buffy swung hard at Dawn's next attack, meaning to show the blade away. Instead the impact finally overloaded the overtaxed power source, causing it to explode. Dawn cried out in pain as her right hand was burned in the small blast.

"Dawn!" Buffy shouted in alarm, switching off her own blade and rushing to her sister. Anakin was likewise at the Padawan's side in an instant.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Dawn grimaced in pain, but nodded.

"Nothing a trip to the med lab won't fix," she said through gritted teeth. "I knew the power source was going to be a problem - it wasn't meant to be rigged like that. That's what I was going to work on tonight."

Buffy nodded. "I'm sorry I stopped you, then. But you should have told me - I would have taken you on tomorrow. Instead, I'm going to have to wait until you get your hand treated - and build a replacement."

Dawn stared at her sister in amazement. "What? You mean-"

"I mean," Buffy started, "that I was waiting for you to develop your skills before I allowed you to build your first lightsaber. But I made an error, Dawn. I tried to training you like a Padawan and in the process I forgot you were already trained like a Watcher. I should have evaluated you on different types of weapons and allowed you to choose one that worked for you. But what you showed me tonight was amazing, Dawn. You're ready."

Dawn smiled broadly, then grimaced in pain. "Then I'll get started on it - just as soon as I get some bandages for my hands."

"Master Chatak should be on duty at the med lab now. Ask him for some bacta patches. They'll help accelerate the healing," Anakin advised. Dawn nodded. "Then go and get patched up. Then get some sleep, Padawan."

"Yes, Masters," Dawn said sincerely. Then she hugged both of them. "Thank you, Buffy. And I'm sorry for your loss. Both of your losses." The two Jedi nodded and Dawn raced out of the training room.

Buffy couldn't help but sigh. "Well, it's official. My worst nightmare has come true. Soon she will be armed and dangerous."

Anakin chuckled. "I dare say things are going to get very interesting around here."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed and then frowned. "And I have a bad feeling about it."

**TBC

* * *

**

A/N: I've been putting off writing this chapter for a while now so I could read the NJO book 'Traitor', which is where Verger teaches Jacen about her views of the Force. I wanted to read this because I'm going to be using that view as Buffy and Willow's view for the story, something I started back in Episode 3. Thankfully, I finally got to it (and managed to finish it in a day- something I haven't done in a while; and I read most of it at work, to boot!) so chapter 4 shouldn't take as long.

Next TWO chapters - Willow pulls a Verger on Dawn, and Dawn herself undertakes a mission to Coruscant - and comes face to face and blade to blade with the Emperor's Hand, Mara Jade.

Oh, and Anakin and Willow talk and Buffy and Obi-Wan kiss.


	4. In Exile: Year 4 Part 1

**Episode 4 Chapter 4**

**In Exile: Year 4**

**The Great Temple Robbery**

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **

There was a violent flash of purple and white light and suddenly Dawn appeared in the bowls of the Council, where she promptly collapsed. She was a mess - dozens of bruises, several fractured bones and a smoldering hole in her side from a lightsaber blade. The young Jedi gasped for breath, looking around frantically at her surroundings. She noted dimly that at least all of the artifacts had arrived. Whether or not they were intact would have to be investigated when she was in no danger of actually dying.

She was alone. She was in the darkened basement of the Council, where nobody knew to look for her. And worse, her strength was fading. _It wasn't supposed to go like this,_ she thought to herself. _It was supposed to be in and out, no alarms, no patrols. Nobody was going to know what I did. Boy, did I fuck up…_Dawn took a shallow breath, attempting to center herself and reached out to the one person she knew would hear her.

_Zett, hear me…_

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_  
_

**Two Days Earlier**

Dawn stood in the middle of the training room, a blindfold fastened over her eyes and her lightstaff deactivated in her hands. She was surrounded by several practice dummies that the slayers normally practiced their stake throwing on and around them were half a dozen stinger remotes. Though she couldn't see them, Dawn felt them activate and rise and she activate the lightstaff. Twin blades of azure light streamed from the ends, terminating in rounded edges nearly a meter from the handle and in an instant she was spinning around the room, blocking and truing back stinger bolts while protecting the dummies.

Buffy and Sera stood in the back of the room, watching Dawn move through the practice. "She's gotten quite good with the staff, Master," Sera was saying. "Before it was mostly instinctual. Now, it's actual skill. And she's learning more every day."

"Then why do I detect worry in your voice, Sera?" Buffy asked as Dawn spun, batting away one bolt and sending another back at the remote, deactivating it.

"She's much too angry at times," the Jedi said plainly. "And she channels it much too often. You of all people know of the dangers of the Vaapad form. Only you and Master Windu were able to successfully master it without falling."

"Dawn won't fall."

"I understand how you feel about her, Master-"

"SHE WON'T FALL," Buffy repeated strongly.

"She lost one of her Slayers, Master Skywalker. And not only was Vi her Slayer, she was her friend. I fear that attachment may be her undoing."

"And I believe it will make her stronger," Buffy countered. "She merely has to come to terms with the loss and move past her anger… that is all. And she can do that. She WILL do that."

Sera looked at Dawn, who had defeated the final remote. Five of the six remotes lay on the ground, smoking ruins of what they once were. The sixth was lodged in the body of one of the dummies. Sera looked back at the Jedi Master blandly.

'If you say so, Master."

Dawn pulled off the blindfold and looked around sheepishly. "Uh, sorry, Masters. I got a bit carried away."

Buffy sighed. "Let's take a walk."

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"How have you been holding up, Dawn?"

"Fine. Why?"

The two were walking in the expansive courtyard of the Watcher's Council. It was a beautiful spring day, warm even by England standards, and many of the occupants of the Council were out enjoying the weather. Buffy and Dawn walked among them, side by side. Buffy glanced at her sisters and sighed inwardly.

_She had to be as stubborn as me,_ she thought. "I know the past year has been tough for you, Dawn. First with the intensified training, then with taking full Watcher duties. And it's been two weeks since you lost Vi on patrol and you still haven't talked to anyone about it."

"You're one to counsel someone on how to deal with grief, Buffy," Dawn shot back acidly. Buffy winced.

"That may be, Dawn. I haven't had the best experience in dealing with grief. I'm hoping, though, that I can teach you to avoid my mistakes. You're more than a normal person, Dawn. You're a Jedi. And as a Jedi, you can't keep all of this anger bottled up inside."

The two stopped and the young Jedi looked up to find herself in front of the Wall of Remembrance. It had been decided that that should be some sort of memorial to commemorate the sacrifices of all of the Slayers throughout history early on after Giles and the rest of the Scoobies arrived. How to do that without seeming too gaudy was another thing. In the end, it had been decided on a long, solid piece of white marble, about two meters tall that would curve around the edge of the lake between the two main buildings. All of the known names of Slayers and Watchers that had fallen were then carved on it. Occasionally there would be an epitath, but mostly it was just the names. And Buffy had brought Dawn to the center point of the slab, where the latest name had been carved in.

**Violet "Vi" Dames**

Dawn's chest tightened up at the though of her former Slayer. Along with Rona, Molly and Belle, Vi had been one of four Slayers in her group, and one of the two who had been with them since Sunnydale. Along with Zett, Dawn's team had been one of the best in the London patrol zone, dealing with the most difficult cases with ease. At times, they seemed invincible. At times, they _felt _invincible.

Of course, that feeling isn't always good. That feeling can lead to mistakes.

They had been called upon the deal with a particularly nasty next of vampires that had been praying on the downtown London area. They found their base in an old, burnt out London opera house. Operating like a well oiled machine, they managed to infiltrate the building and destroy the sentries and were well on their way to destroying the main clan when the master arrived. What they hadn't known was that the master, Tomlisov, was as old as the vampire Krakistos had been when Faith had taken him on.

Dawn knew the story of Krakistos, having (sort of) lived through it. She knew it had taken two Slayers to kill him and even then it almost wasn't enough. And so she watched in horror as Vi rushed the vampire with her sword, swinging to decapitate it. She watched as the Vampire moved with preternatural speed, ducking under the swing and grabbing Vi's arms, braking both of them with a casual twist. She watched as Vi crumpled to the ground in pain, screaming.

She watched as her Slayer, her friend, stopped screaming as the vampire plunged the sword through her heart using the sword the vampire had taken from her. Even as the vampire withdrew the sword slowly, cruelly, the look on Vi's face showed no resignation and held nothing but pain. Even as she fell, her blank eyes stared off into nothing.

Dawn didn't remember much after that. She remember watching Rona and Belle get brushed aside roughly through a red haze, remembered vaguely as Zett and Molly worked to dispatch the remaining sentries.

She remembered surrendering to the rage that had boiled up inside of her, lashing out with the Force to pulverize every bone in his body, then hacking him to bits with her lightstaff before finally, mercifully, taking his head.

Dawn pushed her feelings back down deep into her gut and glared at her Master. "I don't need to talk to anybody. I'm fine. Now if you'll excuse me, my OTHER job calls." Dawn pushed past Buffy and stalked back to the compound, leaving the Slayer to stare forlornly at her back.

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

She was sitting at her desk, staring at the same line on the report that she had been trying to read for the past half hour when the knock came.

"Dawn, can we talk?" Zett's worried voice came from beyond the door. Dawn sighed in frustration.

"I'm kind of busy, Z-"

"I won't take too much of your time," the young Jedi said, coming in and closing the door behind him. "It's just that we haven't had much time to talk since…well, you know…"

"Yeah, well I've been busy," Dawn said flippantly, not looking up from her paperwork. "It's amazing how many forms you have to fill out when you get one of your Slayers killed."

Zett winced at that. "Dawn, you didn't get Vi killed... I'm worried about you, Dawn. I'm worried that you're falling deeper and deeper into the darkness…"

"Look, sorry to interrupt, but did you need something?" Dawn interrupted rudely. "Because I've got more important things to do than listen to you bitch and moan and worry about me and my darkness."

"I'm worried about you! Dammit Dawn, I love you!" Zett shouted. "And seeing you like this, I just want to help you get through this!"

Dawn looked at Zett coldly and then slowly stood up. Stalking around the desk, she moved until she was right in front of him. "I also have more important things to be doing than dealing with over-emotional men. So why don't you do us both a favor and go off somewhere to meditate and forget all about me? Because I'm already forgetting about _you_."

"But - but I love you," Zett replied softly, his voice cracking with barely restrained emotion. Dawn shrugged coldly.

"That's your problem, not mine," she replied cruelly, then moved around him and strode out of the office. Zett stood there for a few moments and then jerkily moved out of the room to head back to his quarters. He hoped to sleep and then wake to find this all to be some horrible nightmare. Or at the very least, he hoped sleep would help him forget the fact that the first girl he had ever loved had just ripped his heart out.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Willow watched as Dawn moved through her katas in the darkened training room. Even from her position at the door, Willow could see how clumsy the moves were. Willow could see Dawn stood on a precipice - the same precipice she herself had stood on nearly a decade previous and it was with alarm that she realized how close Dawn was to following her footsteps.

"You gonna stand there all night, or are you gonna come in and 'talk' to me?"

"Actually, I was just walking down the hall, when suddenly I had this really vivid flashback of my days as Darth Traya," Willow said happily. "You know, the days when I murdered innocent people, perpetuated a galaxy-wide war and tried to kill my best friend? Then I came in here and realized I was sensing you."

"Cute."

"But enough of this idle chit chat," Willow said, striding over to the weapons case and picking up a small lightsaber. She switched it on and adjusted its green blade to the training setting. "Let's spar."

Dawn stared dumbly at the witch. "Are you NUTS?" she asked incredulously. "You haven't touched one of those in years."

Willow whipped the bale up in a traditional salute. "Then I'll go easy on you."

Dawn grunted in reply, then took her lightstaff from her belt and activated both blades and then quickly set the blades to the training setting. She brought her right blade up in salute and then attacked without preamble.

The two spared for a few minutes in silence, during which time Dawn's frustration grew. Every move she made, Willow seemed able to block with twice the efficiency and half the effort. Willows strokes were small, darting moves that were starting to try Dawn's patience.

"Are you going to attack me or not?" Dawn snarled, thrusting one blade towards Willow's stomach. The Witch parried and spun away, striking out with her saber and nicking Dawn's cheek.

"Was that good enough for you?" she asked sweetly. She chuckled as Dawn responded with a furious volley which she easily deflected. "So, I ran into Zett on my way here. Funny thing, I thought he was a zombie at first, the way he was acting." Another thrust, another parry. "Guess you wanted space, hmmm? Maybe that's why you don't talk to your team anymore and you barely acknowledge your own Master. I know; Buffy likes to gossip."

Dawn swung for her head and Willow ducked, blocking the return thrust. She rolled to the right and stabbed out, nicking Dawn's shin. "So, I got to thinking. There could be two things going on with you - either you are so upset over the death of your friend that you're shutting everybody out in some vain attempt to spare yourself from future loss, or you're so ashamed at how easy you fell to the supposed 'Dark Side' that you're pushing everybody away in shame - and you really didn't give a rats ass about Vi."

Dawn yelled in rage and full-out attacked Willow, using everything Buffy and Giles had taught her. She stabbed, kicked, slashed and jabbed, but somewhere Willow managed to block, parry or avoid every attack. "But let me ask you a question, Padawan," Willow continued calmly. "What if I told you there was no Dark Side of the Force?"

Dawn stopped and shut down her staff. She hunched over, bracing her hands against her knees as she sucked in much-need oxygen. "That's a lie."

"Everything I tell you is a lie," Willow replied. "That doesn't make it any less true."

"That doesn't make sense!"

Willow sighed. "We live in a world of vampires and witches, where we have traveled to another dimension and are now in the process of preparing to fight an evil, galaxy-dominating regime headed by a Sith Lord of unimaginable power. And to top it all off, you were created from an ancient power known as he key that was used to break open the doors to all dimensions and from Buffy, which means your sister is also technically your mother. So tell me, oh wise and powerful Jedi, what her exactly makes sense?"

"Point taken," Dawn replied dryly. "Still, do you have a point here? One that makes a little sense, preferably?"

"Fine. To answer your question, let me ask one of my own. What is the Force? In purely scientific forms, if you can."

Dawn thought for a moment before answering. "In the simplest terms, the Force is an energy field."

"I see. And is an energy field evil?"

"What?"

"It's a simple question," Willow said. "Is an energy field evil? Or good, for that matter? Can it take sides?"

"Well, no…I don't suppose so…"

"Then how, pray tell, can there be a Dark Side of the Force?" Willow put forth. Dawn scoffed.

"And this is coming from one of the most prolific Sith Lords in recent history."

"I'm not saying the Sith aren't real," Willow replied with an edge to her voice. "Nor am I saying that they don't use the Force for evil. I'm simply saying that Force isn't what helps them be dark - it's their intent. Intent!" she exclaimed. "That's the key. Intent decides if one is good or evil. For example - when Buffy, Anakin and I were in the desert on Tatooine, I was a full-fledged Sith apprentice. And yet I was still able to heal Shmi by using the Force - an act of compassion, of the Light Side. But, when I attacked the Temple the first time and destroyed the balcony, Buffy was able to use the Force to hold it up and then used Force lightening to fuse the stone back together. Force lightening, which has long been thought of as a power of the Dark Side.

"It was our intent that determined whether or not our actins were good or bad. Another example - Darth Plagus used his knowledge of the Force to preserve and prolong life; Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth felt that his power made him better than everybody - just read Obi-Wan's report on how he was on Outbound Flight and you can see his intent. It was my intent to save Shmi; it was Buffy's intent to save her students; and it was your intent to cause as much pain and suffering to that vampire that you could before you killed it." Willow smirked slightly as Dawn's eyes narrowed. "Please. Tell me I'm lying. Tell me you didn't dig down deep into that dark place in your heart…"

"I don't HAVE a dark place in my heart," Dawn shot back.

"So that rage you used against the vampire - that came from your happy-feel good place?" Willow responded sarcastically. "Don't lie to me, Dawn. You wanted to hurt him."

"No."

"YES," Willow retorted. "Listen to me, Dawn and listen well. You are at a crucial stage in your development as a Jedi, when the Dark Forces will tempt you the most. But you have to realize that they aren't coming from the Force - they're coming from deep inside your own heart. You must accept that those urges are apart of you - accept it, live with it, but never give in to it." She put a reassuring hand on the young girl's shoulder. "I don't want you to turn out like I did, Dawn. I don't want you to become me."

Dawn, struggling to control her emotions, shrugged out from her embrace and stalked out of the room without saying a word. Willow sighed. "It was worth a shot," she mumbled and then she moved to put away her lightsaber.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Dawn wandered aimlessly around the halls of the Watcher's Council, mulling over what Willow had told her. It all seemed so unbelievable - and yet, it seemed perfectly logical. Buffy and the other Masters had always warned her of the temptations of the Dark Side - could that in actuality be the temptations from the dark place in her heart, like Willow had suggested? The idea scared her more than a little bit - she was acutely aware of how much pain and suffering she had gone through in her short life - the death of her mother; Buffy's sacrifice and Willow's disappearance to keep her safe; the death of so many potential Slayers, including Amanda, in Sunnydale; the fear of losing the ones she loved - a fear that has become so prevalent in her mind that she began pushing everyone away; the uncertainty of her own existence. These things, these secret fears and angers, she kept them buried, locked away in the back of her mind and heart. Could these things really be the fuel for the Dark Side? Could accepting them and living with them be the ultimate way to defeat it?

So engrossed in her thoughts was Dawn that she ran head first into Fred, who herself rounded a corner fully distracted. The two cried out in surprise as they both tumbled to the floor.

"Ouch!"

"Oh!" Fred exclaimed, helping Dawn up as she herself staggered to her feet. "Darn, Dawn! I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, Fred. Really." Dawn offered the other woman a tentative smile. "I guess both of our heads were in the clouds."

"Yeah," Fred replied. "Actually, I'm glad I ran into you. The latest expedition to the Jedi Universe. They got some intell that you and the rest of the Jedi need to hear."

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"So, what is it?" Anakin asked.

It was not even nine o'clock the following morning when Dawn found Anakin and asked him to convene the Council, promising big new that would require a Council decision. And here they all sat as Fred, Dawn and Olee Starstone stood in front of them in the Council chambers presented what Dawn claimed was Earth-shattering news.

"Well," Fred began, "as you know, we've been sending expeditions into your galaxy ever since we were able to adapt the PPG's to port to specific planets."

"Yes, we know," Master Chatak interrupted. "That's how you were able to obtain all of the medical supplies and equipment, among other pieces of technology."

"Exactly. Also during this time, we've been cultivating an information network to keep us apprised of the situation. One of those contacts is a man named Karrde. He's a smuggler; he's in charge of a modest operation that's building quite a reputation. We've followed his information a few times and every time it's panned out. On the last mission, he informed Wesley of a cache of Jedi artifacts being held in a secure facility - artifacts including the remaining pieces of your archives."

The Masters were astonished at that and began talking amongst themselves. "I thought the archives were destroyed," Master Kilwallen stated, looking at Olee. The young Knight nodded.

"When the situation became untenable, I sent a signal that should have destroyed the entire thing. It is possible, however, that the signal was interrupted or blocked. If that is the case, then Palpatine may have the complete knowledge of the Jedi at his fingertips."

"I'm SO not feelin' that," Buffy muttered. Teryl nodded in agreement.

"The knowledge of the Jedi in the hands of a Sith - I hate to admit it, but the very thought disgusts me," she said.

"Well, that's why we're here," Dawn interrupted. "I have an idea on how to get the archives and every other artifact he has, away from Palpatine."

Buffy stared warily at her sister. "Go on."

"Fred has been refining the PPG's so we can use them for bulk transport. We hope to eventually be able to send large groups of people with them…"

"But we already did that," Teryl pointed out. "We did that when we got here."

Dawn shook her head. "We used a traditional portal to come here. However, those types of portals aren't the most efficient way to transport people or materials because they usually require a ritual and at least one magically inclined person involved in the creation of the portal. The personal portal generators were created to bypass that. The drawback, up till now, has been that only one or two people could go through at a time – any more, and the fabric between realities began to become unstable and we risked a 'key' event, where all barriers begin to break down. However, Fred has been able to refine the PPG's enough that we can now send large shipments across the dimensional barrier with minimal risk of an event."

"Unfortunately, right now it only works for non-living matter, though that should be fine for the mission," Fred interjected. Dawn nodded in agreement.

"The plan is simple. We have several cases of the small portal generators that are linked to a central control pad. A small team will port into the storage location and attach the units to all of the artifacts. Now, our intelligence says hat the archive holocrons are packed away in storage crates, so it should be easy to tag them as well. After we do that, we simply activate the PPG's simultaneously and transport all of the artifacts back here to the Council's storage vault. Once that's done, we merely have to hide and wait for about ten, fifteen minutes before the dimensional barrier is stable enough to transport the team back," Dawn smiled. "Easy-peasy, japaneesie. In and out in under thrity minutes."

"What of security?" Obi-Wan asked. "Surely Palpatine would have these artifacts heavily guarded."

"That's the best part. The complex is heavily guarded - on the outside. All entrances and exits are covered, but there aren't any storm troopers inside the actual space."

"And where is this 'space', Padawan?" Roan asked, leaning forward. "Because I haven't been able to not notice the fact that you've been carefully omitting that little detail from your report."

Dawn took a breath. "It's the old Jedi Temple on Coruscant."

The Council immediately started talking amongst themselves until Buffy's voice rang out.

"So let me get this straight. You want to lead a small team of Jedi into the Jedi Temple, not one mile away from the most powerful Sith Lord in existence, to recover the Jedi's artifacts and archives." She paused and leaned forward in her chair. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I'm not the one in the family with the history of mental illness, Master," Dawn shot back. "And I didn't say I'd lead it, I was just laying out the plan…"

"You implied that you were going to lead the team, Dawn," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"Well, I didn't mean to…"

"No, you did," Buffy interjected. "But there are two problems with this plan. While I agree that we need to get the archives away from Palpatine, we need more information. We need to send our infiltrators into Coruscant to get some independent confirmation."

"I agree," Roan said.

"And I second," Teryl added. The Masters all nodded in agreement. Dawn frowned.

"We may not have time to wait, Masters," she said. "The archives were boxed up - that implies that Palpatine is preparing to move them. If we don't go in now, we may never have the chance again."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at her charge. "Let's get this straight, Padawan. You will NOT undertake any mission for the Jedi Council without our express permission. And we will not grant you that permission until we are all satisfied that you are stable."

"Again, I point out I wasn't the one who was committed to a mental institution, Master."

"You're emotions have become increasingly erratic, Dawn," Obi-Wan pointed out. "Ever since Vi died, your attitude has been belligerent, even violent at times. Your team has fallen into disarray, your training ahs suffered and let's not even talk about Zett."

"I've had issues," Dawn ground out. "I'm dealing with them."

"Not well enough," Anakin pointed out. "There's still a lot of turmoil in you. We can all sense it."

"Consider yourself suspended Dawn, pending a full evaluation by this Council. Until that happens," she raised her voice over Dawn's objections, "you are to remain in the Council complex, working on your training. Do you understand me, Padawan?"

"What about my Council duties?" Dawn ground out. "I'm a senior Watcher. I've got _responsibilities_."

"You will carry those out for now. But I will be talking to Sir Nigel about putting you on leave." Buffy looked hard at her sister. "Do you understand?" Dawn nodded curtly. "Good. Olee, please stay behind for a few minutes. Fred, Dawn, you are dismissed."

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Dawn stalked into Fred's office and instantly plopped herself down in front of a computer terminal. Fred came in behind her, desperately trying to put a positive spin on things for Dawn.

"Well, just look on the bright side! You get a few days rest, pull yourself together and come back in fighting form! Heck, you can even spend time patching things up with Zett!"

"I doubt he'd have me back after what I said to him," Dawn muttered, typing away.

"Pfsh," Fred said dismissively. "The man loves you. Sure, he's not in the best state of mind, but I'm sure if you just talk to him, you two can work things out."

Dawn hit print on the computer and moved over to the printer. Grabbing the sheet, she thrust it at Fred. "Yeah? Well, it'll have to wait until I get back."

Fred looked at the paper and paled. "Dawn, no….no, no-no-no…"

"Fred…"

"This is SUCH a bad idea…"

"FRED!" Dawn shouted. Once she had the tech's attention, she continued. "I am a Senior Watcher on this Council. As such, I have full discretion on any and all missions I plan to implement. Which now includes my Temple raid. That order," she pointed to the paper, "is valid and I expect the materials to be loaded and ready to go within the hour, before Buffy talks to Lord Ambrose-Bellairs and gets me canned."

"Why don't you just wait for them to clear you, Dawn? Why not just wait?"

"Because time is a luxury I don't have, Fred. And I need to know," her voice dropped till it was barely a whisper. "I need to know if I can still do it. I need to know if I can control myself, if I'm really stable enough be a Watcher _or _a Jedi."

Fred sighed in defeat. "Oh, alright. Give me an hour to get things together."

"Thanks, Fred," Dawn said, then turned and walked out. Fred sighed once more.

"I got a bad feeling about this…"

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Dawn made her way back to her room and quickly moved to her computer. She sat in silence for a few moments, contemplating what to write.

"_She doesn't want to be a Watcher, I think." _Vi had told Buffy three years ago. They hadn't known it at the time, but she had heard every word._ "She enjoys working with the girls, myself included, I hope. But she doesn't like sitting on the sidelines, writing reports. She doesn't like watching her Slayers get beat up. I think she mainly does it to make sure we get treated fairly. And to metaphorically spit in the face of Sir Nigel."_

Vi had been right. Dawn hadn't liked to be a Watcher. But she had done it nonetheless, hoping to get fair treatment for the girls, hoping to keep them safe.

So much for that idea.

Coming to a decision, she quickly wrote the letter, printed it, sealed it in an envelope and placed it on her nightstand. She then stripped and moved to her closet. She pulled out a pair of black leather pants and a black turtleneck and put them on. Finally she moved to her dresser and gathered her infiltration kit - black gloves, lock pick, set of stakes, throwing knives, and strapped them all onto her body. Finally she picked up her lightstaff and slipped it into her specially-designed back holster. Taking one final look around, Dawn slipped out of her room and headed back to Fred's lab.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

It was nighttime on Coruscant when Dawn arrived in the remains of the Jedi Temple. As the intelligence had said, the only guards were posted at the exits and entrances - far away from the central chamber where the Emperor was storing the Jedi artifacts. Dawn immediately noticed how everything was packed and stacked.

"Probably going to move it in the next few days," Dawn muttered to herself, quietly putting down the two large cases that carried the tags. "Time to go to work."

It only took Dawn thirty minutes to attach the PPG tags to all of the crates and loose artifacts. Once she did that, she retrieved the control tablet from the case and turned it on. The display screen showed green lights on all of the PPG's. She quickly took out three of the extra devices and attached two of them to the cases, keeping the third on herself. She ran one last diagnostic, made sure to disconnect her PPG from the networked group and then stepped into the middle of the room. Without any further hesitation, she hit the activation button on the tablet.

The room lit up in a blinding flash of purple and white energy and, as one, everything Dawn had tagged seemed to shrink as it was pulled into the cloud of energy until there was nothing left. And then the portals snapped shut, leaving the room in total darkness once more. Dawn sighed in relief.

"Ten more minutes and I'm home. No-"

A crimson blade suddenly flashed into existence, piercing the control tablet and coming to a halt inches from her throat.

"-problem," Dawn squeaked.

"I'm afraid you have a BIG problem, girl," a feminine voice growled. Dawn squinted to see the face of her assailant past the glowing red blade. "Those things you just – whatevered - belong to Palpatine, Emperor of the Galactic Empire. You WILL return them now," the blade lowered slightly so that Dawn could get a clear look at her face, "or I will make you suffer for taking them."

Dawn gaped. The woman in front of her… it couldn't be! But that slim build, the soft face with flowing red hair and green eyes…

"Willow?"

Those familiar green eyes seemed to flash with anger. "Willow? What do you know of Willow?"

"She's my friend," Dawn said slowly. "But you're not her…"

"Of course not!" the woman snarled. "I want nothing to do with that deserter, that traitor! It's bad enough that she's my mother…"

Dawn was torn between being astounded and horrified. _This _woman was Willow's _daughter?_ "Yeah," she said at length, "I guess that doesn't make you the most popular person around here, whoever you are."

"I'm liked well enough to become the Emperor's Hand. You may call me Mara Jade." The blade moved back up towards Dawn's face. "Now, bring it all BACK."

Dawn slowly raised her hands up over her head in what she hoped was interpreted as a non-threatening gesture, though she was subtly shifting her right hand lower to reach her lightstaff in its holster. "Well, gee Mara. I'd love to bring it back, but you see that tablet you just destroyed? That controlled the whole transportation process. So I guess your Emperor's up the proverbial shit-creek."

"Then you're in for a world of hurt, little girl. And after I'm done with you, I'll turn you over to my Master. And if you're lucky, you won't survive long enough to meet the Emperor…"

_Now!_ Dawn thought as she quickly whipped out her lightstaff and ignited one blade, bringing it down and out to bat away Mara's crimson blade. Dawn followed that up with a spin as she activated the other blade, bringing it up and swinging for Mara's head. "Little girl? Don't you know what I am?" she asked the astonished Hand as she blocked Dawn's swing. Dawn spun again, ducked under Mara's return swing, and thrust her leg up, sending her boot into the redhead's jaw.

"I'm a Jedi, bitch!"

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

The two women went at it tooth and nail, neither giving nor taking quarter. Mara fought to kill, knowing it would please both of her Masters to destroy a thing they both loathed. Dawn fought hard, knowing if she let her guard down for an instant, she would die. So Dawn fought harder than she had ever fought, relying on everything Buffy, Anakin, Obi-wan and all of the rest of the Jedi had taught her. Mara swung high and Dawn blocked and then brought her low blade up towards Mara's gut. Mara leapt back and thrust out with the Force, sending Dawn hurting back across the room and into a stun field that blocked off the doorway to the outer corridor. She grunted in pain as she was thrown forward a few feet where she landed in a heap on the floor.

_Just have to hold out for a few more minutes, _she thought to herself as she staggered to her feet. She noticed a cable on the ground running into the wall at the blocked-off door and sliced it in two with her lightstaff, instantly cutting the power to the stun field. Warily the young Padawan backed out of the main room as Mara aggressively stalked her.

"So, you're a Jedi?" she said dismissively, attacking once more. The fury behind the attacks took Dawn by surprise and she blocked desperately as the Hand battered at her defenses. "Gotta say, girl. Not what I was expecting."

"Yeah? And what were you expecting?" Dawn gasped, gritting her teeth and blocking a high swing. She tried to follow up with a side strike at Mara's waist, but she clocked it, spinning around and thrusting her lightsaber behind her - straight into Dawn's abdomen. Dawn gasped in surprise at the nearly overwhelming pain that exploded in her side, but before she could even scream Mara pulled the blade out and reached out with the Force, slowly crushing her neck as she lifted Dawn into the air.

"I was expecting some skill. Talent, even," she said as she slowly choked the life out of the injured girl. "Quite frankly, after all of the stories Master Halcyon told me, I was expecting more than some half-trained girl with no power." With contempt she Force -tossed the girl back through the doorway into the main hall, where she thudded to the ground and skidded a few feet before finally coming to a rest. She looked down at the deactivated lightstaff she had dropped and kicked it away, then stalked back towards the fallen Jedi.

Dawn groggily looked up as the Emperor's Hand stalked towards her. _Just a few more minutes!_ Dawn practically screamed to herself. _Come on, Dawn! You're a Jedi and a Watcher! It's your job to think of ways out of spots like these! THINK!_ Dawn's eyes darted around and instantly she spotted the power cable. _The cable powers the stun field. If I can force her back into the doorway, I could use Force lightening to light that field up and send Mara to bed. _The only problem with that plan was calling on the Force lightening - she had always been taught that it was a Dark Side power. _And what if Willow is right?_ She thought to herself. _Is it dark if I don't intend to harm her with it?_

Mara was now two feet past the door. _Now or never, Dawn._ Gathering her strength, Dawn grasped for the three throwing knives strapped to her chest and loosened them. Mara acted just as Dawn had suspected she would - she leapt back in a graceful back flip, landing directly in the center of the doorway. With little effort she batted away the knives and sneered.

"Is that the best you've got?"

"No, not really," Dawn said through gritted teeth as she grasped the cable. Instantly she let the Force flow through her, forcing it out through her hand as the devastating lightening that had taken her sister's arm.

But this lightening wasn't meant to fry flesh.

The raw power flowed through the cable and instantly the stun field lit up - with Mara dead center in it. She screamed in pain as the stun field seemed to overload every cell in her body at once. After a few moments Dawn let go of the cable, instantly ceasing the lightening. The stun field died and Mara collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

_How's that for intent, Will? _ Dawn thought as she painfully climbed to her feet. Her left hand instantly grabbed for her wounded side and Dawn was grateful that the lightsaber cauterized the wound. _At least I won't bleed to death. Well, internally may be a different story._ Dawn wearily reached out with the Force and called her lightstaff to her, though she almost missed catching it in her exhausted state. Looking down at the watch on her wrist, she groaned.

_Still got five minutes to wait. What's that noise? _It only took Dawn a few moments to realize the clomping sound she was hearing was dozens of boots plodding towards her. _Great. There's no way I can hide form a full company of troops. Guess I'll have to go home now._ Reluctantly she pulled the PPG from her belt. _Boy, I got a bad feeling about this…_ she thought to herself as she activated it.

The normally serene purple and white energy cloud exploded to life in turbulent form as blue blots of energy crackled around it . Dawn screamed in pain as the portal seemed to tear her apart at the molecular level ripping her to shreds as it sucked her into its violent maw. Then with a loud BANG, the portal snapped shut, leaving the hall and its one unconscious occupant in the dark once more.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

There was a violent flash of purple and white light and suddenly Dawn appeared in the bowls of the Council, where she promptly collapsed. She was a mess - dozens of bruises, several fractured bones and a smoldering hole in her side from a lightsaber blade. The young Jedi gasped for breath, looking around frantically at her surroundings. She noted dimly that at least all of the artifacts had arrived. Whether or not they were intact would have to be investigated when she was in no danger of actually dying.

She was alone. She was in the darkened basement of the Council, where nobody knew to look for her. And worse, her strength was fading. _It wasn't supposed to go like this,_ she thought to herself. _It was supposed to be in and out, no alarms, no patrols. Nobody was going to know what I did. Boy, did I fuck up…_Dawn took a shallow breath, attempting to center herself and reached out to the one person she knew would hear her.

_Zett, hear me…_

**TBC…**

Boy, did this chapter get long. For something I had pretty clearly laid out in my mind, things sure got changed around a lot and I'm not too entirely happy with it. For some reason, I just couldn't translate it to paper properly. This chapter ended up being split in two. The next part will have Dawn's recovery, along with her disciplinary hearing in front of the Council. Also, I think steps will be taken by both Anakin and Padmé to rebuild the friendship and familial bonds that Willow shattered in the last trilogy.

Finally, the page breaks on the FanFiction edit page aren't working, so I hope the ones I put in are. Hope they get that fixed.

Peace,

Andrew


	5. In Exile: Year 4 Part 2

**Episode 4 Chapter 4 Part 2**

**Dawn's Lament**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **

Zett Jukassa couldn't stop thinking about Dawn.

It was illogical, he knew. It was over between the two of them. That much she had made clear. But he still didn't understand why.

Zett had been given to the Jedi as a newborn by his parents and raised in the strict confines of the Jedi Temple. He had never known love; his experiences with Dawn had been his first taste of a romantic relationship, as well as his first real attachment. Dawn had truly opened his eyes, showing him what it was like to love and be loved…

And then, inexplicably, she ripped it all away. And for the life of him, he couldn't understand it.

"And then one time, at band camp…oh, forget it. He's not even listening to me," an irritable voice said, snapping Zett's attention back to the here and now.

"Band camp? Where the hell did you get that from?"

"I hear the Slayers saying it on occasion. It's probably one of the things we missed while we were 'away'."

The Jedi Knight was seated in Master Skywalkers' personal quarters at her insistence, along with Xander and, much to his discomfort, Willow. While Dawn had tried to warm him up to the former Sith, Zett could never forget what she had done at the temple or how many lives she had taken that night. Still, Willow had made remarkable strides over the years in trying to atone for the past. She and her teacher, Tara, had helped Dawn's team out of more scrapes than he could remember and for that he had earned his gratitude. Still, it was a bit…odd… to be sitting here as she tried to comfort him.

"My apologies, Master. My mind was elsewhere…"

"Yeah, on my sister," Buffy sighed. "Listen, Zett - Dawn's going through some tough times right now. Vi was her friend - I might even say best friend - and her loss devastated her. She's taking her anger and frustration out on everyone around her and unfortunately you got caught in the crossfire."

"I know everybody is saying to just give her time," Xander added. "But that's the best idea right now. Once she works through this, she'll come around."

"Dawn loves you, Zett," Willow added. "I'm not sure if she even fully realizes it. But I can tell in the ay she looks at you, the way she talks about you. Don't give up on her, Zett."

Zett smiled sadly. "I don't intend to. But I must say that life was easier before we were allowed attachments."

"The really good things are worth fighting for, Zett," Buffy said. "And sometimes, they're worth suffering for-" Buffy hissed suddenly, feelings of pain and despair flooding her senses through the Force. Likewise Willow suddenly doubled over, the pain too intense for her fractured Force control. As for Zett…

_Zett, hear me…_

"Dawn…." he whispered. Then like a shot, he was on his feet and out the door, with Buffy and Willow right behind him. Xander, alarmed by the sudden change of mood, took off soon after.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

With Dawn's pain still fresh in his mind, Zett tore through the halls of the Watcher's Council. Dimly he noticed other Jedi moving through the halls, no doubt called by the same disturbance in the Force he was. Though he doubted if they knew what was causing it.

Zett came up to the second floor balcony and without stopping leapt over the railing, using the Force to carry him down to the first floor. Buffy and Willow followed, leaving a panting Xander behind. Groaning in frustration, he leapt up onto the banister and slid the whole way down, landing less than gracefully at the bottom.

"Damn super powers…" Xander grumbled, hauling himself to his feet. He saw the door the lower level stairway was open and made for it.

"Xander!" The carpenter turned and saw Anakin and Padmé heading for him. "What's going on?"

"Something happened to Dawn. Everybody's heading down…"

"Lead the way," Anakin interrupted and the three headed for the stairwell.

Zett burst through the stairwell door and looked down. While the original manor the Council had set up shop in had an underground level that was originally used for servant quarters and laundry rooms, in more recent years there had been several underground additions to the manor, including an armory, a simulated training course and several large storage vaults for dangerous or valuable artifacts. Closing his eyes, Zett tried to focus on Dawn through the Force. It took him only moments to find her in the lowest vault, five floors below. Without hesitation he leapt over the railing, letting himself fall between the stairs and using the Force to control his decent. He landed gracefully at the bottom and dimly noted that Buffy and Willow landed right behind him. Without a thought, he reached out to the heavy locked vault door through the Force and ripped it off of its hinges, sending it crashing into the all besides them. The three ran into the room - and were stopped short by what they saw.

Crates. Dozens and dozens of crates, along with artwork, statues….

"Holy Hannah," Willow murmured. Buffy groaned.

"She went. She disobeyed our orders and _went._ Of all of the times to be a rebellious teen…"

Zett wasn't focused on their conversation; instead he was glancing around frantically for his fallen lover. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, he spied a pair of feet lying on the ground.

"DAWN!" he yelled running over to her fallen body and sliding to a halt besides her. "Dawn! Dawn, come on! Wake up!" he screamed, shaking her .The fallen girl groaned and weakly opened her eyes.

"Hi," she said hoarsely. "Knew you'd hear me. Sorry…"

"Don't talk, Dawn. Just stay awake. MASTER!" Zett called out behind him, "She's over here! She needs a medical team NOW!"

Buffy came around to where the two Jedi lay and covered her mouth in shock. "Oh, God," she breathed, looking at her badly beaten sister. She turned at once to Willow. "Can you…"

"I'm on it," the witch said, falling to her knees next to Dawn and placing her hands on her. Instinctively she let the Force, along with her own magic, flow through her and into Dawn, trying her best to heal the girl's injuries. After a few moments, she frowned.

"I can stabilize her," she announced as Xander, Anakin and Padmé entered. Anakin's eyes widened in alarm when he saw Willow kneeling over an injured Dawn.

"What are you doing?" he demanded harshly.

"She's trying to save our sister!" Buffy spat back. "So let her work!"

"I can stabilize her," Willow said again patiently, "but I can't heal her like I did Shmi. There are massive internal injuries, and not all of them were from the fight she was in."

"Portal…wasn't stable…." Dawn groaned in pain. "Couldn't wait….had to leave early… fells like...I'm leaving…again…."

"You're not going anywhere, Dawn!" Zett said forcefully. "Stay with us!"

"Sorry…I can't stay…love you, Zee…" Dawn murmured, her voice trailing off as the darkness took her once more.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**One Week Later**

Willow sat in her darkened room, staring off into nothing. Beside her was a cold cup of tea that she had hardly touched; on the table in front of her, several volumes of magical texts that Tara had dropped off several days ago. It had been a week since they had found Dawn, bloodied and broken in the Council's vault. Willow couldn't help but remember the helplessness and fear she had felt as she desperately tried to save her young friend.

"Penny for your thoughts, sweetie?"

Willow sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I thought my locking charms were stronger."

"I've taught you everything you know about magic, sweetie," Tara said, closing the door behind her and stepping into the darkened room. "But I haven't taught you everything I know."

"Huh," Willow sighed. "I just can't help but think…that I could have done more…"

"By doing what? Tapping into your Dark Side?" Tara asked gently. Willow shook her head emphatically.

"No! Never that. I know now that NOTHING good could ever come out of the Dark Side. It's just…"

"That you feel like you didn't do enough." Willow nodded. "Sweetie, you did everything you could have done. You did more than you were able to do with Shmi, from what you tell me. Find happiness in that. Willow," Tara moved to kneel in front of the older witch, "you have come so far from the broken woman you were when you came back. Your magical knowledge has grown by leaps and bounds. In fact, I'm afraid there's very little left I can teach you."

"But I believe there is some thing I can teach you."

Willow looked up in alarm at the source of the other voice - and finally noticed the tall figure of Anakin Skywalker lurking in the shadows by the door. Tara smiled.

"I'll leave you two alone," she said serenely, wagging a finger playfully at Anakin. "You be nice."

Anakin nodded and Tara slipped out of the room, leaving the two alone in awkward silence. After a few moments, Anakin cleared his throat.

"Well, this is a bit awkward for me." Willow couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah. Me, too." Another pause. "So, what brings you to the dark side of the moon?" Willow cringed. "Bad choice of words, there."

"It's alright," Anakin said. "This is difficult for me, Willow. You hurt me. You forced me to kill my colleagues, my friends, my _family_…" Anakin sighed. "But at the same time, you saved my mother. And you saved my sister…"

"I should have been able to do more for her," Willow argued.

"If you hadn't stabilized her," Anakin pointed out, "Dawn would have died."

She knew he was right. Thanks largely to her efforts; Dawn's vitals had been stabilized shortly after the girl had passed out for the final time. It was then up to Zett and Buffy to bring her up to the Councils' medical ward, where she was immediately immersed in their recently acquired bacta tank. The miracle liquid had done its work well and after only four days Dawn had been well enough to be taken out of the tank and placed on a medical bed. Dr. Soren, the recently found Jedi that had gathered the medical equipment and come across the barrier with it, had pronounced that Dawn should awaken within a few days and be well enough to leave within another week.

"I know," Willow sighed. "I just wish I could have spared her the pain."

"We learn from our pain, Willow. Of all of the people here, we know that better than most."

"I don't envy her when she wakes up," Willow chuckled mirthlessly. "Buffy is pissed."

"And worried. Never a good combination on her," Anakin added. "Look, Willow - the reason I came today is because Buffy cornered me the other day and told me, in no uncertain terms, that it was time to put aside my anger at you and learn to work with you. And perhaps she is right. I'm not saying I like you, or that I completely trust you," he added, drawing a crestfallen look from the witch, "but I am learning to respect you. And I am grateful to you for helping my family." The Jedi Master sighed. "And, quite frankly, I need your help."

"My help?"

"I am having…difficulty… teaching my students about the Dark Side. They need to be better prepared, Willow. They need to learn of the Dark Side so they can overcome it. I would like your help in teaching them."

Willow was floored. "I-I would be happy to help!"

"Good," Anakin said. "There is also something else…" he took a moment to compose himself and then looked Willow dead in the eye. "I would like you to become my apprentice."

Willow felt as if her jaw had hit the floor. "Your - what?"

"My apprentice," Anakin repeated. "We both know that, no matter how you try to deny it, you are attuned to the Force. One of the biggest mistakes the old Council made was not training you when they had the chance and I would like to make up for that."

"But my training with Tara…"

"It was Tara's idea, actually," Anakin interrupted. "She told me that she's just about taught you everything she could and that you could only benefit from true Jedi training. It won't be easy - you hurt Padmé and I dearly and it will take much to make up for that. But perhaps by doing this, we can repair what friendship we had - and you and Padmé can get closer once more."

"I've tried very hard to pull myself from the Force, Anakin," Willow said at length. "But perhaps you're right. Things are happening and I sense that the war we've been preparing for is looming." She looked up at him and smiled. "Dark and difficult times lie ahead. And it's time to choose between what right and what's easy."

"You're quoting Harry Potter now?"

Willow smirked. "Who do you think suggested to Dawn that she give the books to Roan?"

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

The first thing Dawn was aware of was pain.

It wasn't too terrible, though. And it certainly wasn't as bad as it was before she had passed out in the vault. It was a dull pain that radiated throughout her entire body, centering mostly in her lower abdomen.

_I got stabbed, _she remembered,_ by that woman - Mara Jade, I think her name was? She stabbed me, on Coruscant-_

Realization sunk in._ Oh, boy. Buffy is going to be pissed…_

Dawn groaned softly and forced her eyes opened. She noticed immediately she was in the medical ward and from the sunlight pouring through the windows, she judged it was about noontime. Dawn moved to sit up and her arm brushed against something. She looked over to see Zett's head lying peacefully on the side of the bed. The poor boy had been sitting by her side and must have fallen asleep, Dawn reasoned as she began to gently stroke his hair. After a few moments, Zett began to wake.

"Whuzza?" he mumbled, raising his head. He smiled when he saw Dawn smiling back at him. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Dawn rasped back and then started coughing. Zett grabbed a pitcher of water and a glass that he had set aside for her and poured her a glass. Dawn took it gratefully and drank.

"Easy, drink it slowly," Zett chided as Dawn coughed again. "I didn't help save you from mortal wounds just so you could choke to death on water."

"Sorry 'bout that," Dawn said, struggling to sit up. Zett obliged her and helped. "Thanks," she said, trying to make herself comfortable. She winced at the pain in her side. "How long was I out?"

"A week," Zett replied. "Me and Buffy have been in here twenty-four seven. She just left a few hours ago, actually. As for what's been going on - you made Starstone's day when you brought back those artifacts. She's been working non-stop, cataloguing everything and integrating what she downloaded from the archives into what you recovered. It looks like Palpatine managed to save the entire archives - how much he's looked at is unknown, but at least now he won't have them to look at anymore."

"That's one in my favor."

"But you're still in serious trouble, Dawn," Zett said seriously. "What were you thinking, disobeying the Council? I've heard they're talking about excommunicating you!"

"Don't worry about that, I got everything covered," Dawn said, wincing a little as she squirmed on the bed. "Listen, Zett…about what I said to you that night…"

"Forget it," Zett said quickly. "You were hurting, I know that."

"I was hurting," Dawn admitted. "Vi was my best friend here. When she died, it was like…it just felt like everybody I cared about was leaving me. First my mom, then Buffy and Willow, Amanda… I couldn't deal if anybody else left me."

"I'm not leaving you, Dawn," Zett said earnestly, leaning in for a kiss. "I'm not going anywhere. Trust me."

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Buff stood in the Council chambers, looking blankly at the beautiful vista outside the window. She closed her eyes and reached out through the Force to her sister and sighed gratefully as she sensed she was finally awake - then blushed when she realized what she was doing with a certain young Jedi Knight. Pulling back, she sensed another presence entering the room.

"Dawn's awake," Buffy announced, turning towards Obi-Wan. "And in good spirits, apparently."

"Yes, well Zett did insist on being there when she awoke," Obi-Wan chuckled. "Though I do hope they don't get too carried away - Dawn does need to recover, after all."

Buffy's face scrunched up. "Thanks for that wonderful mental picture, Ben. The LAST thing I want to think about is my sister's sex life."

The two stood in companionable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying one another's company, before Obi-Wan spoke again.

"Why are you so uneasy, Buffy?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"I could feel it down the hall," Obi-Wan confirmed. Buffy sighed.

"I want to be so angry with her. Hell, I AM angry with her!" Buffy exclaimed. "But, seeing her laying there, so close to death…"

"It was hard for you," Obi-Wan reasoned. "She's not just your sister; she's the closest thing you have to a daughter."

"And I nearly saw another child of mine die." Tears started streaming down her face and Obi-Wan pulled her close to himself for a hug. Buffy closed her eyes for a brief moment as the comfort washed in waved over her.

"But she didn't die," he assured her. "She alive, safe and ready for tribunal at a moments notice," he joked, getting a laugh from the Slayer. "Don't worry, Buffy. She's a tough as you and twice as resilient. She's going to be fine."

"Yeah, I know," Buffy pulled back slightly and looked up at Ben's face. "Thanks for being here for me." Obi-Wan smiled softly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you found her." His hand reached up to touch her face, to brush away her tears.

"It's okay…" Buffy said quietly, bringing her lips closer to his. "You're here now, that's all that matters…"

They kissed.

It was a soft, sweet kiss, full of uncertainty and awkwardness on both parts. Soon though, the kiss deepened as years of repressed attraction coming to the forefront. Absently, Buffy couldn't help but think how differently Obi-Wan kissed from Jacen…

_Jacen._

Abruptly Buffy pulled away. "I-I have to go," she said lamely, then took off out of the room, leaving a flabbergasted Obi-Wan behind.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"So, what do we do now, Master?" Willow asked Anakin as she turned on the lights. "Do we begin training now or should we wait until you tell Padmé?"

"Padmé already knows," Anakin said. "She not too happy about it, but she understands my reasons. As for training, I have this for you." He handed a small data tablet to Willow, who took it with interest.

"My first day's training as a Jedi and you give me a reading assignment?" she asked. "My first day with Dooku, _he_ gave me a _sword_."

"Yeah and look where that got you," Anakin shot back irritably. "Besides, I think you'll like what's on there."

Willow glanced at the pad curiously as Anakin moved into the kitchenette. "Jedi healing techniques," she read. "Some of this stuff is ancient."

"It's still viable," Anakin called out. "These arts were lost to the archives thousands of years ago, as most of them were replaced with bacta. Still, as it was demonstrated when Dawn returned, there is still a place for the arts."

"Yes, I believe you're right…" Willow trailed off, reading through the information until suddenly the door slammed open. Willow looked up in irritation. "Okay, Tara's GOT to teach me some more advanced locking charms…"

"Willow!" Buffy exclaimed, paying no attention to Anakin. "You won't believe what I just did! I kissed Obi-Wan!"

Willow blinked and sat back in her seat, an unsurprised look on her face.

"About damn time," Anakin said, sipping on the drink he had fixed for himself. Buffy looked over at her brother in surprise.

"What the Sith are you doing here?" she asked, then blanched. "Oh, boy. Bad choice of words…"

"Don't worry, Buffy," Willow said dryly. "We put off galactic domination until next Tuesday."

"I'm taking Willow on as my apprentice, so she can learn how to use the Force in a positive way," Anakin explained. "As for you making out with my former Master - as Spike would say, good on you, mate!" hr finished with an impish grin and a thumbs up.

"This doesn't surprise you?"

"No, but it disturbs me. I mean, Obi-Wan's been like a father to me over the years and now my sister's macking on him…"

"Where did you learn the term 'macking'?" Willow asked, looking over to Anakin, who shrugged in return.

"I watch 'Passions' with Spike. I'm bound to pick up a few things."

"While this is fascinating - and highly disturbing - can we get back to the problem at hand?" Buffy said exasperatedly.

"What exactly is the problem, Buffy?" Willow asked. "You and Obi-Wan have always gotten along. I thought more than once that you'd make a great couple."

"But what about Jacen?" Buffy asked in a small voice. "I feel like if I do this with Obi-Wan, I'm forgetting him."

Anakin's face softened at that. "Buffy, you'll never forget him, as long as you keep him in here," he said, pointing towards her heart. Willow nodded in agreement.

"Jacen would want you to be happy, Buffy. He'd want you to move on."

Buffy sighed. "Maybe… I just-" she was cut off by her comlink beeping. Anakin's beeped at the same time. Buffy raised her eyebrows at her brother, who pulled out his comlink and activated it.

"This is Skywalker."

"Anakin, this is Kilwallen," the Jedi Master's voice spoke over the comlink. "Have you seen your sister?"

"Buffy's here with me, Ydra," Anakin replied. "What's going on?"

"Dawn has requested that we convene immediately," she replied. "I believe she wants to get our judgment out of the way."

Buffy frowned, but held her tongue. Anakin nodded absently. "Very well, we'll be there at once."

"There's more." There was a pause on the other end of the line before the Jedi spoke again. "Dawn also requested something else. Your wife and Mr. Giles will also be attending and Dawn has requested…that Ms. Rosenberg attend."

"I'm here with her as well. We'll be there at once."

"Will Ms. Rosenberg be vertical?" Ydra asked dryly.

"I'll be any way you want, Ydra," Willow called out, causing Buffy to quickly stifle her laughter. There was a grumbling on the other end of the line before it went dead. "Yeah, this will be fun," Willow observed, pulling herself to her feet. "Shall we?"

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Buffy, Anakin and Willow walked into the Council chambers to find all of the other Masters, plus Padmé and Giles, already seated. Dawn was standing in the center of the room, with Zett at her side supporting her.

"I'll stand in the back," Willow said quietly to Buffy, who nodded and headed for her seat next to Obi-Wan.

She sat down and leaned over to Ben. "We'll talk later," she said quietly. He nodded and then looked to Roan who took his cue.

"We are here to address the charges being brought against Dawn Summers, Padawan to Master Buffy Summer-Skywalker. Due to the relationship between Master Skywalker and Apprentice Summers, I must ask Buffy to abstain from voting."

"I so abstain," Buffy replied, settling back in her chair. Roan nodded and turned to Zett.

"Knight Jukassa, you may leave."

Zett hesitated for a moment looking to Dawn, who nodded. "I'll be right outside," he whispered, then turned to the Council members and bowed in respect. Without further words, he turned and walked out.

"Before we begin Dawn, I know you just woke up. If you would like to sit…"

"I'll be fine standing, Master," Dawn said earnestly.

"Very well," Master Sibwarra said. "Now Padawan, would you care to tell us why you disobeyed a direct order from this Council?"

"Very simply - I never disobeyed your orders."

There was a minor furor with the Council members for a moment before Master Chatak leaned forward.

"Would you care to clarify your statement, Padawan?"

"I was told not to undertake any mission for the Jedi Council without your express permission."

"And you were suspended from active duty," Obi-Wan pointed out. Dawn nodded.

"However, I was not suspended from my duties as a Watcher. And as I stated, I did not disobey your orders, because my mission to Coruscant was not a mission for the Jedi Council." She paused for a moment, waiting for it to sink in. She knew it did when Anakin started to laugh.

Buffy turned to her brother with an incredulous stare. "You find something funny about this?"

"Yes, actually," Anakin replied, getting himself under control. "Actually, I'm beginning to understand how Master Yoda and Master Windu used to feel about me. Don't you see?" he asked, looking at each Master in turn, before settling on his wife and Giles. "She didn't undertake this mission for the Jedi Council. She undertook it for the Watcher's Council."

"I don't recall any plans filed by you, Dawn," Giles said before he then realized something. "Of course, you wouldn't have to file…"

"Why not?" Buffy asked, looking to her former mentor.

"Dawn passed her qualifications for the Watcher's Council," Giles explained. "Due to her past experience in Sunnydale, and her relationships with the Sunnydale survivors, she was classified as a Senior Watcher."

"Which means that I have full discretion on what missions I am to undertake for the Watcher's Council," Dawn finished. "I write up the plans, I pick my team, I get my equipment and I go. No need to go through the hierarchy."

"And what reasons could you have possibly had to classify this mission as a Watcher Council mission, Dawn?" Padmé asked.

"The Jedi, sooner or later, are going back to reclaim their galaxy," Dawn explained patiently. "To do that, they will need the Slayers and the Watcher's Council's help. The archives I recovered alone will allow the younglings to learn so much more, which will increase their effectiveness and increase the overall effectiveness of the Jedi/Slayer teams. Plus, I was able to remove valuable historical references from the hands of an evil tyrant and gain some valuable intelligence in return." She turned to Giles. "I know in doing this that I abused my authority as a Watcher. Which is why I wrote this before I left." She pulled out a sealed envelope and handed it to Giles. "This is my letter of resignation from the Watcher's Council. When you give it to Sir Nigel, you might want Doc Soren standing by, in case he has a heart attack out of happiness."

Giles was at a loss for words as he opened the envelope and read the letter. Finally, he found his voice. "Dawn-"

"Don't, Giles," Dawn cut him off forcefully. "I made my choice and I'm going to face the consequences of my actions."

Giles nodded in defeat. "Very well, Dawn. I'll bring it to Sir Nigel."

"And I'll talk to him about organizing a new Watcher for your team," Padmé added.

"Before we go any further, there's something I have to tell you. Especially you, Willow," she said, looking to the witch briefly before turning back to the Masters. "My mission was almost a complete success. There were no guards in the storage area when I arrived - the Temple was completely deserted. I was able to affix the PPG's to he artifacts and send them through with no problem. It was only after I did that that I ran into a problem - a girl, about my age, who called herself the Emperor's Hand. She said her name was Mara Jade." She turned to look at Willow. "And she said she was your daughter."

There was a shocked silence in the room and Padmé moved her eyes off of Dawn and onto Willow's shocked face. "My…daughter?"

"That's not possible," Padmé pointed out. "If she was as old as Dawn, then Willow would have to have been pregnant at the same time I was."

"That evil, manipulative son of a whore!" Willow exclaimed. "She's a clone!"

"No, not a clone," Dawn said. "She looked like you, but not exactly like you. My guess is Palpatine used your DNA along with someone else's he had a sample of - who, I don't know - and grew her. Perhaps in a cloning tube or perhaps in a donor mother. But I want you to know that she's out there and that she's been raised to consider you a traitor, a deserter and basically she hates you."

A deep sadness formed in Willows eyes and they lifted to meet Padmé's. Padmé flinched slightly when Willow said, "Well, at least your children know and love you."

"She also indicated she had more than one Master," Dawn continued. "I gathered that all of the orders came from Palpatine, but she was being trained by someone named Halcyon."

"That's impossible!" Anakin exclaimed. "I killed him at the temple!"

"It's possible that Palpatine sent another team through after we left to find survivors for his experiments," Willow reasoned shakily. "If that's what happened, then it's a good chance he successfully turned Nejaa."

"He wouldn't turn," Buffy said adamantly. Willow lowered her head in shame.

"I started the job, Buffy. It wouldn't take much more to finish it," Willow said, glancing at Dawn. The girl was dangerously pale and it was obvious she was expending a great deal of energy to remain standing. "Master, if I may - I think we should wrap this up so Dawn can head back to the medical ward."

"Agreed," Roan said, looking around to the other Masters. "Well, as Anakin stated, Dawn didn't actually disobey us - from a certain point of view. And since she has resigned from the Watcher's Council, we don't have to worry about her doing an end runaround against us again."

"Dawn," Teryl started, "I sense most, if not all, of the pain and confusion you were feeling at our last meeting together has fled. Do you think your mission helped with that?"

"Actually, Willow helped me the most with that," Dawn said. "The mission only helped me see that I could still do the job without giving into my anger."

Teryl sat back in her chair. "I'll be frank with you, Padawan - I never like the idea of training you. I felt that this was an experiment doomed to failure from day one. This incident, however, has caused me to rethink that." She paused for a moment before continuing. "You still have a lot to learn, Padawan. But you have learned more in these few short years that I ever dared to hope you would. What's more - you have faced the Dark Side and overcame it." She turned to the other Masters. "It's my feeling that we should continue with our original idea - suspension and counseling, coupled with time off to heal now."

"What's more," Master Chatak added. "Let it be stated clearly that anyone holding the rank of Padawan shall not cross the barrier without express permission and an escort from a Jedi, no lower than Master status." The Zabbrak turned to Dawn. "Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master," Dawn replied, sweat starting to bead on her brow. Chatak noticed this and frowned.

"There will be no further punishment. For now, Please call Zett back in here and have him escort you back to the medical ward."

"Thank you, Masters," Dawn said and leaned forward to bow - and almost toppled forward as a result. Before Buffy could even get up to help, both Willow and Zett were there to steady her.

"Okay, back to bed for you, love," Zett said softly, leading Dawn, with Willow, out of the Council chambers. Buffy sat back and sighed.

"Those two are getting married someday," she mused.

"Pleasant thought, isn't it?" Anakin mused. "They get married, they'll have kids - who will be taller than you by the time they reach age three…"

"Funny," Buffy said sourly as the other Masters all rose.

"I need to go see Sir Nigel," Giles announced, turning to Padmé. "Care to join me?"

Padmé stared at where her estranged sister had been standing moments before and then shook off her melancholy feelings and stood. "Right behind you, Mr. Giles."

One by one everybody moved out of the room, leaving only Buffy and Obi-Wan behind.

"Buffy, about what happened earlier-" he started, but was cut off as Buffy's comlink chirped. Buffy sighed (in relief or annoyance, she wasn't sure), and activated the comlink.

"Buffy."

"Buffy, this is Fred," the Texans voice said anxiously over the com. "I just got an urgent message from Tatooine - Owen and Beru's farm is under attack by Imperial Storm troopers!"

Buffy looked up at Obi-Wan in shock and then felt her resolve kick in.

"It's beginning," she stated, and as one the two Jedi ran out of the room.

**TBC…**


	6. Chapter 5: The Skywalker Legacy

**Special thanks, as always, to my Beta's Fallenstar2 and Winterd for all or their help.**

**Disclaimer: see chapter 1 **

**Episode 4 Chapter 5**

**The Skywalker Legacy**

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Owen and Beru Lars stood stock still in their living room as Imperial Storm Troopers ransacked their once-pristine home. Owen could do nothing but bite his tongue and hope the emergency transponder Buffy had given him worked. And the most ironic thing about this whole situation was the fact that they weren't after Luke, like they had feared; but after the two droids they had bought yesterday.

Both Owen and Luke had recognized the droids at once when the Jawas brought them out. Buffy had told him of how she had given Artoo-Deetoo and See-Threepio to Bail Antillies and Luke had gotten to know the droids lately when they had paid visits to Leia on Alderaan during her recent apprenticeship with the Senator. So when they had shown up in the presence of the scavengers, Owen knew he had to buy them back. His feelings of trepidation had only increased when Luke had stumbled onto a partial message from his sister, beseeching the help of the Jedi. Luke had immediately thought of old Quinn, the old hermit who lived out in the Jundland Wastes who had regaled Luke with stories of the Jedi of old and he had set out, with the droids, to see him earlier this morning. Thankfully, it was after he left that the Storm Troopers showed up, commanded by an arrogant, cocky Lieutenant who was taking an inordinate amount of joy in bullying the aging couple as the troopers tore their home apart.

"If you told us what you were looking for, we might be able to help you find it. WITHOUT tearing apart my home," Owen growled. Without hesitating, the Lieutenant backhanded Owen.

"You will speak only when spoken to, peasant," the Lieutenant drawled. "We know you purchased two droids from some Jawas late yesterday afternoon. Where are they?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure they're not under the couch," Owen quipped, earning another backhand. "You're right. I did buy two droids. And I wanted them in tip-top shape, so I sent them with a farm hand into Anchorhead to get them checked out and have their memories wiped."

The Lieutenant narrowed his eyes. "That's unfortunate… for you," he said. "Those droids are Imperial property and contain classified information needed by my superiors. Since you willfully bought obviously stolen property…"

"Hey, I bought them from the Jawas legitimately!" Owen protested, but the Lieutenant carried on without stopping, only raising his voice a little.

"And since you willfully destroyed Imperial military files by having their minds wiped, you are obviously guilty of treason and sedition; the penalty of which is death." He snapped his fingers and three Storm Troopers came forward and raised their blasters at the couple. Beru held her head high and Owen held his ground defiantly.

"You don't scare me, kid. I've faced worse things than you and your little cronies cleaning off the vaporators."

"The problem with you backplanet simpletons is that you just don't have the proper respect for your government," the Lieutenant said cockily. "Rest assured, after we've made an example of you, the rest of these mindless oafs will properly fear us. Eliminate them," he ordered the Storm Troopers, who aimed at the Lars'-

…And suddenly dropped as their heads were severed by a blade of pure silver energy. The Lieutenant looked on in shock was the rest of his troopers fell to a glowing blue blade. The Lieutenant backed up, desperately trying to draw his holstered blaster as a blonde in what he believed to be Jedi robes came towards him, her lightsaber held at the ready.

"Haven't you heard, son?" she asked as he desperately tugged on his weapon. "People shouldn't be afraid of their governments; governments should be afraid of their people."

The last thing he saw was the silver blade flashing at his neck as he finally drew his blaster…

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Luke was in full panic mode, as his Aunt Buffy would say, as he made his way back to the farm.

He had made it to the outskirts of the Jundland Wastes when Sandpeople started taking potshots at his landspeeder. Taking refuge in some cliffs, Luke had tried to find where the Sandpeople were so he could go around them - and ended up being jumped by one. The next thing he remembered was waking up with old Quinn leaning down over him, his long grey hair tied behind his head and his short beard neatly trimmed as always. Luke didn't know what happened to scare off the Sandpeople, but he wasn't really complaining either. When he was finally able to tell Quinn about why he had come to find him, the old hermit had suggested going back to the safer confines of his dwelling.

That's when they had spotted the smoke.

Making their way to the source, they had discovered the wrecked remains of a Jawa sand crawler. Further investigation had determined that it was the same Jawas that had sold the two droids to Luke in the first place and, when Quinn had pointed out the attack looked to have been carried out by Imperial forces, all of the old warnings that had been instilled in him by his parents over the years had kicked in and he had immediately set off for home.

And now he arrived there to see smoke billowing out of the courtyard. Moving quietly, he pulled out the old long necked blaster rifle from the land speeder and softly made his way down he stairs. He paused before the final turn that would expose him to the open and took a moment to compose himself. Then with a loud yell, Luke charged around the corner, the long barrel of the blaster rifle thrust forward like an old bayonetier.

In an instant, a silver blade of energy sliced the barrel clean in half and the figure swiftly pirouetted and brought the blade up under Luke's neck, stopping him in his tracks.

"Luke, I'll ask you this only once." Buffy said calmly, switching off her lightsaber. "What in the fracking hell are you doing! Running in here like that, antique guns a' blazing?"

Luke stared wide-eyed at his Aunt, seeing her in a new light. Then his eyes moved to the burning pile of bodies in the courtyard of his home. "Son of a Sow!" he exclaimed. "Are those Storm Troopers? And why are you two carrying lightsabers?" he added noticing for the first time the lightsaber hanging off of Obi-Wan's belt.

"Yes, those were Storm Troopers," Buffy said. "And if they had been alive, you'd have been dead after a stunt like that!"

"What's going on? Where're Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru?" Luke demanded. Obi-Wan stepped forward and put a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Your Aunt and Uncle are fine, Luke. We sent them to stay with your parents for a time. As for why we're carrying lightsabers…" he shrugged. "I'd thing that was self evident."

Luke shook his head in disbelief. "Uh-uh. No way. You two aren't…you can't be…"

"Jedi," Buffy confirmed. "Just like your father. And now you know why we could never stay long - and why your father always had to leave."

"And now we must leave as well," Obi-Wan said, nodding to the burning pile of bodies. "When they don't check in, the Empire will send reinforcements."

"Wait, I can't leave!" Luke exclaimed. "I can't go back with you, not now! Something's happened to Leia!"

"We know, Owen told us," Buffy said. "When we said go, we meant go to Quinn. We should be able to access the information in Artoo."

"My speeder won't hold all of us," Luke said. Buffy thought for a moment.

"Does Owen still have his old swoop bike?" she asked. "Ben and I can use that."

"It's in the garage," Luke replied.

"All right. Lead the way."

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

In no time at all, Buffy and Obi-Wan were following Luke's speeder over the desert sands on Owen's old swoop bike. Soon they came upon the burning wreckage of a Jawa sand crawler and the three figures standing beside a burning pile of bodies.

"Master Qui-Gon," Buffy said formally, smiling as she bowed in respect. Obi-Wan bowed in kind before the amused former Jedi knight as Luke stared on in amazement. Qui-Gon chuckled good-naturedly.

"I do remind you that you both outrank me, Masters," he said, bowing in return. He then turned to Luke. "You look surprised, Luke. You didn't think I made up all of those stories I've told you over the years, did you?"

"You….my Aunt Buffy…my father - is there anybody else who's a Jedi that I should know about?" Luke demanded, getting angry. "And why wasn't I told about this! I had a right to know!"

"We're going to have to watch that temper of yours," Qui-Gon said. "As for your answers, you shall have them. But let us move to more comfortable surroundings.

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

A half hour later the small group found themselves in Qui-Gon's small hut on the edge of the Wastes. As they got situated, Qui-Gon turned to Luke.

"You've known me for many years, Luke, as the crazy old hermit named Quinn. But as you have surmised, I am much more than that. I was a Jedi Knight, the same as your father. As was your Aunt Buffy; as was Ben."

"For over a thousand generations, the Jedi were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic," Obi-Wan added. "Before the dark times. Before the Empire. Now, we are all but extinct."

"And that is why we couldn't tell you, Luke. At least, part of the reason," Buffy continued. "The Jedi have been hunted to the brink of extinction by Darth Vader and the Emperor's Hands. We couldn't let ANYBODY know who and what we really are."

Artoo let out an excited beep. "Mistress Buffy, Artoo wanted to remind you that he does have an urgent communiqué from Senator Naberrie for the Jedi…"

"Yes, Threepio. Thank you," Buffy told the golden droid and then turned to Artoo. "Artoo, play the message. Confirmation code Gamma-Epsilon-four-two."

Artoo beeped and whistled frantically and then the photoreceptor flared to life, projecting the familiar image of Leia, former Princess of Naboo and current apprentice Senator of Alderaan onto the floor of Qui-Gon's hut.

_"Honored Jedi," she began, "years ago you served the Old Republic in the Clone Wars. Now Senator Organa, once one of your staunchest supporters, begs you to aid us again in our most desperate hour. I regret that I am unable to present my mentor's request to you in person but my ship has come under attack by Imperial forces and my mission to meet personally with you has failed. Hence I have been forced to resort to this secondary method of communication._

_"Information vital to the survival of the Alliance has been secured in the mind of this Artoo droid. Senator Organa will know how to retrieve it. I plead with you to see this unit safely delivered to Alderaan."_

_She paused, and when she continued, her words were hurried and less laced with formality. "Bail has assured me that you Quinn, and only you, know how to contact the remaining Jedi. He has even gone so far as to tell me that you were a Jedi once yourself. I do not know if this is true or not, but if it is I beg of you to help me. Help me Qui-Gon Jinn. You are my only hope."_

The image faded out as the rest looked on in shock and sorrow.

"_Ai ya, hwai luh_," Buffy muttered to herself. Obi-Wan nodded in agreement and then looked over at Luke.

"You must learn the ways of the Force if you are to travel to Alderaan with us."

"What? Alderaan?" Luke asked, stunned. "What about Leia? We have to find her, rescue her!"

"And we will, Luke," Buffy said, laying a placating hand on his shoulder. "But we have to move carefully now. Soon, the Emperor and his disciples will be able to sense our presence in the Force, making it dangerous for us to move about. If we want any hope of getting her back, as well as getting out alive, we need to start training you."

"And to that end, I think it's about time you've received this," Qui-Gon said, pulling a long, slender silver tube out of an old chest. "Your father wanted you to have it, when the time finally came. I dare say it has."

Luke took the cylinder from Qui-Gon and studied it carefully. It consisted primarily of a short, thick handgrip with a couple of small switches set into the grip. Above this small post was a circular metal disk barely larger in diameter than his spread palm. A number of unfamiliar, jewel-like components were built into both handle and disk, including what looked like the smallest power cell Luke had ever seen. The reverse side of the disk was polished to a mirror-like brightness. But it was the power cell that puzzled Luke the most. Whatever the thing was, it required a great deal of energy, according to the rating form of the cell. He looked up from the strange device, and his eyes fell on an almost identical device hanging off of Buffy's belt and realization dawned.

"His lightsaber?"

"Right in one," Buffy confirmed. Luke held the device out and hit the activation switch, igniting the blue blade. "That is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. It's a more civilized weapon, from a more civilized time."

Luke deactivated the blade and set it down next to Threepio. After a moment he looked back to the Jedi.

"Why has my parents been in hiding for so long? The truth, Aunt Buffy."

"The truth was that your father was a Jedi and a damn good one at that," Buffy said at length. "Still is, for that matter. But here, now, being a Jedi is a crime. The Emperor wants us all dead. At the end of the Clone Wars, the Emperor put into motion his plan to eradicate our order. He sent his two greatest apprentices - Darth Traya and Darth Vader - to the Jedi Temple to kill the Jedi, while he sent a message to his troops to kill all of the Jedi that were in the field fighting for the Republic. Anakin and your mother managed to escape, but there was a complication - the Emperor wanted him. He knew the only way to keep his family safe was to leave this place and come back to Earth with me."

"But why would the Emperor want him?"

"Anakin is an exceptionally powerful Jedi, Luke," Qui-Gon explained. "And if there is one thing the Emperor craves, it's power. The longer he stays in this realm, the more likely it is that he will be sensed through the Force. You remember what I told you about the Force, don't you Luke?"

"Yeah, it's an energy field that bind all life together."

"Very good," Qui-Gon said. "The Jedi and the Sith can both use the Force to aid them, as well as sense other Jedi or Sith through it."

"Though it's been proven that it's harder to find a Sith," Buffy added sourly.

"That's true," Qui-Gon conceded. "That is the reason why your parents left this realm, Luke. Palpatine knew your mother and her presence in the Force is strong for a non-Jedi. And your father stands out like a beacon."

"Then why didn't he take Leia and I?"

Buffy sighed heavily. "Luke, many years ago, I was told by someone I had never even met that I had this great destiny. The same thing happened to your father and now the same thing is happening to you. Now I didn't want it. I resented him for telling me about it. But in the end, I was forced to embrace my destiny. As did your father and, as will I expect, you."

"I don't understand."

"We're both children of destiny, Luke. And now it's time for you to embrace yours."

"By becoming a Jedi," Luke reasoned.

"In a way, yes," Obi-Wan said. "You will be the first of a new generation of Jedi, Luke. Free of the constraints that bound the Jedi so rigidly that they were oblivious to their own destruction until it was upon them."

"It's fallen to you to rebuild the Jedi Order, Luke," Qui-Gon said. "But to do that, first you must become a Jedi. So the question is: will you embrace your destiny?"

Luke was silent for a few minutes before finally speaking.

"My parents are in exile and my Aunt and Uncle were just forced to join them. And right now my sister is in the hands of the Empire. So my choice seems clear." He looked to Buffy. "I'm in."

**TBC…**

Not a big fan of this chapter, too much leading. And on top of that, the end really didn't click with me. I'm open to any and all suggestions on how to make this better, please don't hesitate.

The next chapter will head into Mos Eisley spaceport, where the Jedi hire a familiar ship…


	7. Chapter 6: Ghosts in the Desert

**Episode 4 Chapter 6**

**Ghosts in the Desert**

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Disclaimer: See chapter one

Authors Note: Parts of this chapter were taken from the novelization of Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope by George Lucas.

Special thanks to my Betas, Fallenstar2 and Winterd.

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**-Death Star-**

Leia Naberrie sat in her cell and contemplated what had brought her here. She had been so careful, she thought. She had taken every precaution to mask any and all communications coming into or going out of the Tantive IV-

Or so she thought.

She knew. The moment her vessel was captured by the Star Destroyer, she knew that her life was over. She only hoped that they would kill her quickly and be done with it. Her only real regret, other than not living to see the end of the Empire, was that she wouldn't be able to see her family one last time.

The door opened to her cell, bringing her out of her reverie. She looked up and saw the familiar face of the Emperor's second in command, Darth Vader. Tall and muscular, cloaked in black armor and a long black cape, his white hair cut short and his beard neatly trimmed, the Dark Lord of the Sith looked almost civil as he came into her cell. The – creature - who followed was another matter entirely. Cloaked in the same black armor as Vader, the creature was also adorned with several strange mechanical devices, topped off quite literally by a black mask. The sight of the expressionless mask, combined with the mechanical breathing of the respirator contained within, was said to cause many nightmares across the galaxy to whoever was unfortunate enough to survive an encounter with him. Not much was known about it - no one even knew if it was human. The only thing truly known was that it was a male, two meters tall, did the bidding of the Emperor and was called Halcyon.

"My dear Princess Leia," Vader started out, using her former title mockingly, "it has been some time since we last met. A session of the Senate, if I recall?"

"You recall correctly, Vader," Leia replied coolly. "You should familiarize your self with the Senate - they will be most displeased to learn that you attacked a consular's ship while it was on a diplomatic mission."

"Yes, they would be upset, wouldn't they?" Vader asked mockingly. "That is, they would be upset if they were relevant anymore. I come with news, Princess - the Emperor has decided to disband the Senate permanently."

Leia gasped in shock. "That's madness!"

"No, it's efficient," Vader replied.

"And how does your Lord plan on controlling the thousands of star systems without the Senate, hmm?" Leia asked sarcastically. "It's not possible."

"Of course it's possible, your highness," the low, menacing tones of Halcyon's voice interjected. "And you're sitting in what will make it possible."

"Of course, we will need to make a demonstration. And to do that, we will need the location of your Rebel base."

Leia paled, but her resolve held firm. "I will never tell you that."

Vader smiled benignly. "Of course not," he said, turning to look at Halcyon. "My compatriot her would like nothing more than to let an interrogation droid have a go at you." He turned back to her and his smile tuned menacing. "But I, on the other hand, like the personal touch." Swiftly he moved forward and gently placed a hand on the side of Leia's head. "Let's have a peek inside, shall we?" Suddenly energy crackled between Vader's fingertips and Leia's head, causing her to scream in pain as the Sith Lord invaded her mind.

* * *

**-Tatooine-**

"Quinn, can I ask you something?" Luke asked to the elder Jedi that sat next to him in the landspeeder. The two, along with Threepio and Artoo and followed by Ben and Buffy on the swoop bike, were speeding over the flat dessert plains towards the hub city of Mos Eisley. Once there, Quinn had assured them all that it would be of little trouble to find transport to Alderaan.

The Jedi turned to Luke and smiled. "Of course, Luke. Ask away."

"Over the years, I've always had a sort of sense of Leia in the back of my mind. I always thought it was some sort of twin thing…"

"There have been documented cases of twins being able to sense each other. However, if you believe this talent is augmented by the Force, then I would agree with you. Why?"

"Something bad is happening to her," Luke said, his voice filled with concern and dread. "We need to find her, and fast."

Qui-Gon nodded. "We will, Luke. Stop here."

Luke brought the old speeder to a halt at the edge of the bluff and the two got out. Buffy and Obi-Wan came to a stop next to the two and took a look at the view below them.

"Mos Eisley Spaceport," Qui-Gon announced. "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."

Luke's speeder, flowed by the swoop bike, sped into Mos Eisley. One of the central hubs on the backwater planet, Mos Eisley was teaming with pirates, smugglers, lowlifes - just the sort of people the Skywalkers needed to get them to Alderaan. They sped rapidly through the outskirts of the city, going deeper and deeper into the city until they ran into a security checkpoint.

"Now what?" Luke whispered to Qui-Gon, who smiled.

"Just leave it to me," he replied, looking up at the Storm Troopers. "Is there a problem?"

"How long have you had these droids?" the trooper asked.

"Three or four seasons," Luke replied.

"They are for sale if you want them," Qui-Gon added.

The trooper stared back for a moment. "Let me see your identification."

Qui-Gon waved his hand slightly at the trooper. "You don't need to see his identification," he said easily.

"We don't need to see his identification."

"These aren't the droids you're looking for."

"These aren't the droids we're looking for."

"He can go about his business."

"You can go about your business."

"Move along," Qui-Gon finished, sitting back in his seat. The Trooper waved them through.

"Move along," he parroted. "Move along."

Buffy pulled up to the trooper and subtly waved her hand as well.

"We're with them," she said, influencing the trooper subtly with the Force. The Trooper nodded and waved them through.

"They're with them," he said. Buffy and Obi-Wan nodded in gratitude and drove through. They drove deeper into the town until they finally came to a stop in front of a small, run-down cantina.

"This looks promising," Buffy said sarcastically, stepping off of the bike and looking towards Qui-Gon and Luke.

"Most of the best freighter pilots can be found here," the Jedi offered. Luke was still shaking his head in disbelief.

"I still don't understand how we got past those guards! I thought we were dead for sure!"

"The Force can influence the weak-minded, Luke. Never forget that," Qui-Gon responded. "Now, let's get moving."

"I'll stay out here with the droids," Buffy said. "We'll lay low until you get a ship."

"A very good idea, Mistress Buffy," Threepio said. Even Artoo whistled in agreement.

"All right, we'll be out shortly," Obi-Wan said, turning back to the others. "Let's go."

* * *

The cantina was a hive of activity. A thousand different races the likes of which Luke had never seen filled the cavernous interior - Ithorians, Devorians, Sullustans, Barabels… races Luke had never seen, races he had never even heard about…it was the most amazing thing he had seen, outside the spaceport on Naboo he had been to a few times when he had visited his sister. 

"You best watch your step in here, Luke," Obi-Wan warned. Luke nodded and headed towards the bar as the two Jedi started making the rounds. He plopped himself down on the first available bar stool and tugged on the barman's shirt to get his attention and then ordered a drink. He looked around the cantina - Quinn and Ben (no, it's Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan he reminded himself), were busy talking to-

A Wookie?

He had never seen one before, but he had heard of them. Over two meters tall, covered in fur and built with enough muscle to rend a normal human limb from limb with nary an effort, Luke had to wonder what the two Jedi thought it could do to help them…

Abruptly Luke found himself being shoved roughly from behind. He turned to face a rodent-like alien.

"_Negola dewaghi wooldugger?"_ the rodent-man bubbled challengingly.

Luke had no idea what the creature was saying, but he knew it wasn't good. Not knowing what else to do, Luke tried turning back to his own drink while studiously ignoring the creature. As he did so, a thing—a cross between a capybara and a small baboon—bounced over to stand (or squat) next to the quivering many-eye. A short, grubby-looking human also approached and put a companionable arm around the snuffling mass.

"He doesn't like you," the stubby human informed Luke in a surprisingly deep voice.

"I'm sorry about that," Luke admitted wholeheartedly

"I don't like you, either," the smiling little man went on with brotherly negativity. "You just better watch yourself. We're all wanted." He indicated his drunken companion. "I have the death sentence on me in twelve different systems."

"I'll be careful, then," Luke muttered.

The little man was smiling broadly. "You'll be dead."

"This little one isn't worth the trouble," a calm voice said. Luke looked up, startled. He hadn't heard Kenobi come up alongside him. "Come, let me buy you a drink."

By way of reply the bulky monster roared hideously and swung out a massive limb. It caught an unprepared Luke across the temple and sent him spinning across the room, crashing through tables and shattering a large jug filled with a foul-smelling liquid.

The crowd edged back farther, a few grunts and warning snorts coming from some of them as the drunken monstrosity pulled a wicked-looking pistol from its service pouch. He started to wave it in Kenobi's direction. That spurred the heretofore neutral bartender to life. He came charging clumsily around the end of the bar, waving his hands frantically but still taking care to stay out of range.

"No blasters, no blasters! Not in my place!"

Ben didn't give him a chance to use it. In an instant he had unfastened his lightsaber from his belt and activated the blue beam and in two quick strokes the two aliens were on the floor, moaning in pain as their severed limbs lay next to them. He looked around to see if anybody else wanted to start some trouble and, finding none, he deactivated the blade. Qui-Gon moved over to help Luke up.

"Are you all right?" he asked the younger man, who nodded in reply.

"Yeah, just a bit shaken up."

Obi-Wan walked over to them with the large Wookie in tow. "This is Chewbacca," he announced. "He's first officer of a ship that might suite us."

The four walked around the bar to the far end of the establishment where a young, scruffy looking man with shaggy brown hair and eyes that looked far older than they should. Chewbacca slid into the booth next to the man, leaving the three men to slide in on the opposite side. Obi-Wan sat down, a bit on edge - the man reminded him of someone…

"Han Solo," the man said, gesturing to himself. "Captain of the Millennium Falcon."

Obi-Wan's hart seemed to stop. The _Millennium Falcon_? Surely it couldn't be the same ship that had carried him, Buffy and Anakin off of Corellia all those years ago. And the name Solo…

_It couldn't be_, he assured himself. All of them were killed in the blast…

Meanwhile Han had kept speaking. "Chewie tells me you're looking for passage to the Alderaan system?"

"That's right, if it's a fast ship," Qui-Gon replied smoothly. Han seemed to bristle.

"A fast ship?" he repeated. "You've never heard of the _Millennium Falcon_?"

Qui-Gon feigned ignorance. "Should we have?"

"It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs!" Solo told him indignantly. "I've outrun Imperial starships - not the local bulk cruisers, mind you. I'm talking about the really big Corellian ships. I think she's fast enough for you, old man." His outrage subsided rapidly. "What's your cargo?"

"Only passengers. Myself, the boy, two other companions and two droids—no questions asked."

"No questions," Solo regarded his mug, finally looked up. "Is it local trouble?"

"Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements," Kenobi offered easily.

"Well that's the trick. And it'll cost you a little extra." He did some mental figuring. "Ten thousand. All in advance."

Luke gaped at the pilot. "Ten thousand! We could almost buy our own ship for that."

Solo shrugged. "Yeah, but who's going to fly it? You?"

"You bet I could," Luke shot back, rising. "I'm not such a bad pilot myself. I don't—"

Qui-Gon placed a firm hand on Luke's arm and pulled him back into his seat. "We haven't that much with us," he explained. "But we could pay you two thousand now, plus another fifteen when we reach Alderaan."

"Seventeen thousand..." Solo leaned forward, considering the offer. Finally he answered. "All right, I'll chance it. You've got yourselves a ship. As for avoiding Imperial entanglements, you'd better twist out of here or even the _Millennium Falcon_ won't be any help to you." He nodded toward the cantina entrance and added quickly, "Docking bay ninety-four, first thing in the morning."

Four Storm Troopers circled the bar slowly, searching for the troublemakers that had wounded the two thugs. Instead they only found a lone human and a Wookie sitting in a booth at the far end of the bar and the moved on. Once they were out of earshot Han turned to his friend.

"Seventeen thousand!" he exclaimed. "They must really be desperate! This could really save my neck. Get back to the Falcon, make sure she's ready to go." The Wookie growled in acknowledgment and rose, heading out of the bar towards their ship. Han made to follow him, but stopped short as the short snub of a hold lout blaster was pressed into his chest.

"Going somewhere, Solo?" Greedo asked, forcing Han back into his seat. The Rodian took the seat directly across from him, keeping his blaster leveled at Han. For his part, Han nonchalantly leaned back in his seat, propping his left leg up on top of the table while extending his right leg slightly underneath.

"As a matter of fact," Solo replied slowly, "I was just on my way to see your boss. You can tell Jabba I've got the money I owe him."

"That's what you said yesterday—and last week—and the week prior to that. It's too late, Solo. I'm not going back to Jabba with another one of your stories."

"But I've really got the money this time!" Solo protested.

"Fine. I'll take it now, please."

Slowly, Han unfastened the retraining strap that held his trusty DL-44 blaster and began to silently pull it out.

"I haven't got it here with me. Tell Jabba—"

"It's too late, I think. Jabba would rather have your ship."

"Over my dead body," Solo said insatiably.

Greedo sneered. "Then perhaps he'll take your sister. I bet she'd fetch a nice price…"

Han's eyes narrowed in barely contained fury. "Over HIS dead body."

Greedo laughed harshly even as Han finished pulling the blaster, leveling it at the bounty hunter under the table. "I think he would prefer the sooner. I've been looking forward to this for a long time, Solo."

Han smirked. "Yeah, I bet you have."

A sudden flash of light and a loud blast stopped all activity in the bar and the fried remains of Greedo thumped down onto the table. Han looked at the corpse in surprise and then down at his own blaster, which he hadn't discharged. Then he looked back up to see the muzzle of another DL-44 shining out of the shadows.

"I had that under control, you know," he said to the blaster. The muzzle lowered as its owner stepped out of the shadows. The dim lighting reflected off of the dull grey and red colored armor that covered the lithe female body beneath. Her face was hidden beneath the familiar looking T-visored helmet of the Mandalorian warriors. The Mandalorian slipped her blaster back into her leg holster and moved over to the table. Calmly she reached up and pulled off the helmet, shaking her long brown hair loose. She smirked down at the scruffy captain as she picked up his unfinished drink and downed it in one gulp.

"Right, I'm sure."

"I did have him!" Han protested, putting his own weapon away and standing up to face his sister. Joyce just shrugged.

"Yeah, well…I guess now we'll never know who would have shot first." Her blue eyes twinkled as she slid her helmet back on. "Now can we go?"

Han gestured with his had for her to go first, then dug into his pocket and pulled out a small credichip, which he flipped to the bartender. "Sorry about the mess. My sister's a bit impulsive," he said as he followed his sister out of the building.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Joyce Solo was not your typical Mandalorian.

Like most of her adopted people, she had made her living for a time from place to place on all sorts of odd jobs. One of those jobs was collecting a debt from a small time Corellian smuggler - who just happened to be her brother. After she had fulfilled that contract (and dolled out a substantial amount of the credits she had accumulated to pay the debt), she had decided that her place was with Han and his new Wookie co-pilot. Most of her clansmen didn't like the fact that she took orders from a second-rate smuggler like Han, but they didn't know him as well as she did. After all, he was family. And the one thing a Mandalorian prized above everything else was family.

"So, what have we got?" Joyce asked as they headed towards the hanger. "Something nice and profitable, I hope…"

"We got a nice, easy charter."

Joyce groaned in annoyance. "Han, I said profitable. Not a waste of time! We have to pay back Jabba…"

"I think seventeen thousand will cover us just fine, don't you?"

"Seventeen thousand?" Joyce repeated, considering. Then she scowled. "Okay, what's the catch?"

"Who says there's a catch?"

"Because honest people don't need a ferry for that kind of money! Han, out with it!"

Han winced. "There may have been something said about Imperial trouble..."

"_Tah mah duh hwoon dahn_!" Joyce exclaimed in her native, albeit ancient, tongue. "After what happened last time? You really want to go up against Imps?"

"What, this far out?" Han said incredulously. "They probably ripped off some Imp Barron. At worst we deal with an old Star Destroyer that's been needing an overhaul for years. Just trust me on this, Joyce." He flashed her his trademark cocky grin. "Everything's under control."

Joyce sighed and rolled her eyes. "We're going to die," she muttered.

The two calmly walked into the hanger, only to be stopped by an irate Chewie at the door.

"What, Chewie?" Han asked as the tall Wookie growled frantically. "Jabba's in there? How many guys? Alright, al right! Chewie, I'm going in to talk to him. You and Joyce watch my back, but don't start anything. I can talk him down."

Joyce harrumphed in annoyance, but relented. "And I wanted some action. All right, fine. Now go be the negotiator and get us of here."

* * *

The docking-bay entrance to the small saucer-shaped spacecraft was completely ringed by half a dozen men and aliens, of which the former were by half the most grotesque. A great mobile tub of muscle and suet topped by a shaggy scarred skull surveyed the semicircle of armed assassins with satisfaction. Moving forward from the center of the crescent, he shouted toward the ship.

"Come on out. Solo! We've got you surrounded."

"If so, you're facing the wrong way," came a calm voice.

Jabba the Hutt jumped—in itself a remarkable sight. His lackeys likewise whirled—to see Han Solo, with Chewbacca and Joyce standing behind them. "I've been waiting for you."

"I expected you would be," the Hutt admitted.

"I'm not the type to run," Solo said.

"Run? Run from what!" Jabba countered. "Han, my boy, there are times when you disappoint me. I merely wish to know why you haven't paid me... as you should have long ago. And why did you have to fry poor Greedo like that? After all you and I have been through together."

Solo grinned tightly. "Hey, next time you want to talk to me, you come see me yourself." Han pointed to the other bounty hunters. "Don't send these twerps." He looked back to Jabba even as Chewie and Joyce moved in behind him. Joyce found the familiar helmet of Boba Fett and nodded at him, subtly switching to a private com channel.

"_Mand'alor_."

"Sprite."

"You know I hate that nickname."

"That's why I keep using it," Fett replied, a hint of a smile in his voice.

"Why are you still working for the _osik_?" Joyce asked. Fett chuckled.

"He pays well. That's all that matters in the end."

"And if he puts a contract out on Han?" Joyce countered calmly. "You know I'll stop you."

"Don't forget, Sprite - I taught you everything you know. But I didn't teach you everything I know."

"And don't you forget," Joyce replied, "that you have no idea what I'm truly capable of. Believe that."

"I'll take that under consideration."

Joyce cut off the comlink as Jabba shook his head and his jowls shook—lazy, fleshy echoes of his mock sorrow. "Han, Han—if only you hadn't had to dump that shipment of spice! You understand... I just can't make an exception. Where would I be if every pilot who smuggled for me dumped his shipment at the first sign of an Imperial warship? And then simply showed empty pockets when I demanded recompense? It's not good business. I can be generous and forgiving—but not to the point of bankruptcy."

"You know, even I get boarded sometimes, Jabba. Did you think I dumped that spice because I got tired of its smell? I wanted to deliver it as much as you wanted to receive it. I had no choice." Again the sardonic smile. "But I've got a nice, easy charter now and I can pay you back, plus a little extra. I just need some more time."

The gross form seemed to consider, then nodded to the wary Corellian. "Han, my boy, I'm only doing this because you're the best and I'll need you again sometime. So, out of the greatness of my soul and a forgiving heart—and for an extra, say, twenty percent-"

"Fifteen, Jabba. Don't push it."

"Fifteen it is." The voice nearly cracked with restraint. "But this is the last time. If you disappoint me again, if you trample my generosity in your mocking laughter, I'll put a price on your head so large you won't be able to go near a civilized system for the rest of your life, because on every one your name and face will be known to men who'll gladly cut your guts out for one-tenth of what I'll promise them."

"Jabba," Han stated, walking backwards towards his ship, "you're a wonderful human being." Han spun about and headed back to his ship, calling for his entourage to follow. At the back of the pack Boba Fett glanced once more at Solo and then turned and walked out of the bay.

**TBC…**.

Next chapter- Buffy makes a shocking discovery and Joyce learns about her legacy when mother and daughter collide!


	8. Chapter 7: Mother's and Daughters

**Episode 4 Chapter 7**

**Thanks as always to my Beta's Fallenstar2 And Winterd. See the disclaimer in Chapter 1**

**Chapter 7**

**Mothers and Daughters **

* * *

**Death Star**

"Have you gotten anything from the Senator, Lord Vader?"

Darth Vader stood at ease, his arms behind his back, his silver hair tied neatly behind his head. "Her resistance to the mind probes was formidable. It will be some time before we can extract any useful information from her."

Admiral Mottiwalked over to Tarkin and saluted sharply.

"Sir, all systems are operational. What course should we set?"

"Perhaps we should use an alternative form of persuasion on the good Senator?" Halcyon said from behind Vader. "A demonstration of this station's power would be a good start - maybe a visit to her Homeworld?"

"No, the Emperor would never stand to let anything happen to his own Homeworld," Vader interrupted. "But perhaps if her Senatorial seat were put on the block?"

Tarkin smiled evilly and nodded. "Very good." He turned to Motti. "You may set your course for Alderaan."

* * *

"So, you get a ship?" 

Buffy and the droids met up with Obi-Wan and the rest, and the group headed for the space dock. Obi-Wan shot a worried glance at Buffy before replying.

"Yes - and apparently it's the _Millennium Falcon_."

Buffy's steps faltered at that, but she quickly recovered. "No. No way that old bucket is still flying after twenty years."

"There's more," Obi-Wan said as they entered the docks and headed down the corridor towards 94. "Buffy, back on Corellia, when Traya ordered the attack on your family - are you sure everyone was killed?"

Buffy's eyes narrowed under her hood. "Just what kind of question is that, Ben?" she growled. "I quite clearly remember my husbands broken and lifeless body pinned under the rubble of our home."

"And your children?"

"They were home at the time, Ben. They were killed when the building collapsed."

"You're sure?" Ben persisted. Buffy sighed in exasperation.

"Well, I couldn't sense either of them, so I'd say yes…"

"What a piece of junk!"

Buffy was brought up short by the sight in front of her. Despite the improbability of it, there in front of her sat the _Millennium Falcon,_ looking dirtier and more worn down that she could ever have imagined it would become. But her eyes weren't focused on her old ship; it was instead focused on the pilot, who had just turned towards them. Brown, messy hair, face smeared with grease, the Corellian blood stripe on his pants…

He was a dead ringer for Jacen.

Obi-Wan's next words froze her blood. "That would be the pilot, Han Solo."

"She can make point five past light speed," Han was saying. "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts. I've made a lot of special modifications to her myself. Now if you don't mind, we're in a bit if a rush. So if you'll all just hop on board, we'll get under way."

Buffy kept her head down as she moved past Han, too shell-shocked to say anything. She was followed by the rest of the group and she instinctively led them to the crash couches in the main hold. As she was strapping herself in, she heard blaster fire from outside the ship, then a curse from the back of the ship in a tongue she didn't recognize. A figure ran past her and her previously frozen blood evaporated. The girl who ran past them with a two blasters drawn wearing what appeared to be Mandalorian armor sans the helmet had a very familiar face. A face that looked so similar to Dawn's… a face she had remarked on more than one occasion looked similar to what Buffy thought Joyce would have looked like.

Han was _alive_. And so was Joyce.

And she had abandoned them.

_Oh god, what have I done?_

* * *

Han had just replaced the starboard fuel cap when the first Storm Trooper barged in the bay, screaming "Stop that ship!" and firing wildly at the Corellian. Ever a man of instincts, Han drew his trusty blaster and plugged away at the armored troops, dropping them as fast as he could manage while still dodging their bolts. But more kept coming and he couldn't make it back to the ramp. 

Then suddenly the gods sent him a gift. Or at the very least, a Mandalorian with two big guns and a chip on her shoulder the size of the _Falcon_.

"A nice, easy charter! Everything's under control! Any of this ringing a bell, Han?" Joyce shouted, giving her brother cover fire as he dashed back to the ramp. "I ought to shoot you on general principles!"

"Yeah, yeah - shoot me later!" Han cried as he ran up the ramp. "For now, let's get out of here! Chewie, fire her up!" Joyce backed into the ship, still firing even as the ramp lifted into the closed position. She felt the familiar hum of the repulsors firing and the main engine flaring to life as Chewie took the _Falcon _out of the dock and into the air. She moved through the ship and into the main hold, grabbing her helmet and slipping it back on.

"Just stay put folks," she said to the passengers, "we do this all of the time." She hurried past them, but stopped at the entrance to the cockpit tunnel and looked back over their 'guests'. Two droids, a boy in farmer's clothes and thee people in robes, one of which had their hood up. It was the third one that interested Joyce - she felt somewhat familiar…

A shudder ran through the ship, and the farm boy's eyes popped up towards her. Joyce let out several choice Mandalorian curses and raced into the cockpit, aware that the farm boy was following her. The door slid open and she slid into the chair behind Han, punching away at the navicomputer. She dimly noticed the farm boy coming in behind her.

"What's going on?" he asked as the ship was rocked again.

"Star Destroyers, two of them. Coming up fast. You guys must be hotter than I thought," Han laughed shortly. "This is where the fun begins..."

"I thought you said this crate was fast. Can't you outrun them?" Luke retorted sarcastically.

"Watch your mouth boy, or you'll find yourself floating home," Han replied angrily. "Well be going fast enough one we make the jump to light speed."

"How long until you can make the jump to light speed?" Luke asked.

"It'll take a few moments for the naivicomputer to calculate the jump." Joyce replied calmly.

"Are you kidding? At the rate they're gaining?"

"Flying through space ain't like dustin' crops, boy!" Han shot back. "Without precise calculations we could fly to close to a star or fly through a black hole and that'd end your trip real fast." The ship rocked again, more violently then before. "Go strap yourself in, I'm making the jump!"

"Coordinates set," Joyce said.

"Punch it!"

Chewie pulled back on the hyperdrive initiator, and suddenly the stars streaked into lines as space seemed to spin around the ship. Within moments, they were in hyperspace.

* * *

She was alive. Her little girl was alive. 

How could she have not seen it? How couldn't she have _sensed_ it? How could she let her, let them, spend twenty years thinking she was - what? Did they think she died? Did they think she abandoned them? She looked up as Luke ran back in and threw himself into the crash couch and strapped himself in, then felt the familiar hum of the hyperdrive as it engaged.

"Well, I guess we made it," Luke commented. Suddenly Buffy undid her harness and bolted from her seat, heading aft towards the engines. "What's wrong with her?"

"Old memories, Luke," Obi-Wan said sadly. "Old and unhappy."

* * *

Buffy knelt in the engine compartment, lost in her memories. How many hours had she and Jacen spent in here, tweaking the engines to above perfection? Joyce had been conceived in this very compartment… 

Joyce.

Her little girl, still alive. And a Mandalorian, to boot. She wondered how that happened, what had driven her to that warrior culture.

_She's your daughter, you fool_, she thought to herself. She's part Slayer. It's only natural that she would be drawn to their culture.

She deftly reached underneath the humming hyperdrive and removed a loose floor plate. Setting it aside, she reached into the hole in the floor and withdrew a small holo she had placed there years ago as a sort of time capsule. She set it aside and then reached into her robes and withdrew her spare dimensional beacon and placed it into the now empty hole and replaced the floor plate. Reverently she picked up the holo and switched it on. It flared to life and projected the blue image of herself, Jacen and the children in front of their apartment back in Internment Camp 13.

"Hey, this is a restricted area!"

Buffy closed her eyes and fought to compose herself. The voice was so familiar, even through the distortion of the helmet's amplifiers.

"I didn't realize smuggler's ships had restricted areas," Buffy said, not turning to face her daughter. Not yet…

"Well, you learn something new everyday," Joyce replied and then noticed the holographic image floating above her palm. "What's that?"

"Something I left behind on this ship years ago," Buffy explained. "A family portrait."

"Don't remember ever seeing you on this ship before," Joyce remarked, looking closer at the image. She recognized a younger-looking Han; the older guy kind of looked like what Han looked like now. And the woman…

"Who are you?" she demanded sharply. Buffy sighed and switched off the holo and then stood and turned around, pulling her hood down at the same time. And for the first time in twenty years, Joyce looked upon the face of her mother.

"Hello, sweetie," Buffy said, tears in her eyes.

* * *

This is what it feels like to be Joyce Solo at this moment. 

Fear. Confusion, Elation.

Hatred.

Her mother was here. Here, on the _Falcon_. She was alive. Slowly, Joyce removed her helmet and set it on the ground. She looked upon her mother then, her blue eyes hard.

"There were days," she started, looking over her mother, "there were days when all I wanted was for you to come home; to hold me, to tell me everything would be okay." The hatred in her flared and Buffy had to fight hard not to wince away from her. "Then I grew up and all I wished was that you died, broken and alone." Joyce shook her head. "Even now, you continue to disappoint me."

"I…I thought you were dead," Buffy whispered. "I couldn't feel you, I thought you were dead!"

Joyce drew her blaster and pointed it at Buffy's head. "And I wish you were dead!"

* * *

Han came out of the cockpit, followed closely by Chewie. The two made their way into the main hold, where the three men sat talking in hushed tones. The fact that one of the passengers wasn't there set him on edge. 

"Where's the other one of you?" he asked tersely. Luke shrugged.

"She headed aft," he said. "She didn't look well."

"She shouldn't have left the hold," Han shot back. "Did Joyce head that way?"

"Yes, she did," Obi-Wan said. "I'm sure they will be back shortly - they have much to talk about."

"Why would Joyce need to talk to a crazy old hermit?" Han asked annoyed. Obi-Wan sighed.

"Because the 'crazy old hermit' is Buffy Skywalker - her mother."

Han was frozen. Skywalker - he remembered her! She was going to marry her dad, make them a family again.

She gave him Joyce.

And then she split.

Without a word, Han took off towards the engine compartment, Chewie and the passengers hot on his heels. He came to the door of the engine compartment to find his sister with her blaster drawn, holding it on a very familiar face.

"Well, well. The prodigal mother returns," Han said.

"Hello, Han," Buffy said, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. "You don't know how happy I am to see you…"

"You seemed happy the day you left us, so forgive me for not taking much comfort in that," Han said sarcastically. Buffy opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by a joyful roar and a pair of thick, furry arms that wrapped themselves around her and lifted her off of the ground.

"Chewbacca!" Buffy said, overjoyed. "I thought that was you! It's so good to see you again!"

"What?" Han and Joyce said at the same time. Han looked to his old friend. "You know her?" Chewie roared in return. "You met her before the Clone Wars? A Jedi… she our mother! Well, Joyce's mother, at any rate…"

Chewie set Buffy down and then mussed her hair. "I know it's a lot to take in. I thought you had been killed by the Sith." She tuned back to Joyce, who had holstered her blaster. "Just as I thought you both were killed by the Separatists'. If I had known you were alive…"

"_Osi'yaim_!" Joyce snarled and then backhanded Buffy. "_Ni'duraa_! You are _dar'buir_ to me!"

"Oh my!" Threepio said, having shuffled to where all the commotion was. Luke turned to the droid with a curious expression.

"What did she say?" he asked. The golden droid turned his glowing eyes on the young farmer.

"Well, after an assortment of rather colorful Mandalorian curses, she has essentially disowned Mistress Skywalker. She no longer considers Mistress Skywalker her mother."

"Oh, man…"

"Listen, everybody - why don't we all move into the main hold and we can all sit down and talk about this rationally…" Obi-Wan started.

"I have nothing more to say to this deserter," she growled. Han nodded in agreement.

"I feel the same way. So let me tell you what's going to happen. You're all going to go back to the hold, We're going to go back to the cockpit and after we drop you all off at Alderaan, you," he pointed at Buffy, "can go and disappear for another twenty years."

Buffy wiped the tears from her face and squared her shoulders. "If that's how you feel, then fine. But I think my daughter and I need to have a conversation." In a flash, one hand reached out and grabbed on to Joyce's wrist, while the other flew to her belt and activated her PPG. There was a bright flash of purple and white energy and in a flash the two women were gone.

Chewie roared in fear and confusion even as Han drew his blaster.

"What the hell!" Han cried, turning and pointing his blaster at Obi-Wan. "What in the nine Corellian hells just happened? Where's my sister!"

Obi-Wan rubbed his temple and sighed in resignation. "Why don't we move back to the hold and we'll explain a few things…"

* * *

With a flash of purple and white energy, the two women appeared in the embarkation room at the Council. Running on instinct, Joyce roughly shoved Buffy away with her free hand, breaking her mother's grip on her wrist. She then drew her blaster and leveled it at Buffy, who calmly raised her hand towards the gun which promptly flew out of the young Mandalorian's hand. Joyce reached out towards the gun and it stopped in midair between the two women. Joyce gritted her teeth and struggled to bring her blaster back towards her; Buffy stood their calmly, expending no obvious effort. 

"Judging by the push, you got some of my strength. It would also appear you can access the Force, but I can tell you've had no training."

"Not many freaks like you around these days," Joyce ground out.

"Yes, well - just remember. You're a freak like me, too," Buffy replied, casually swishing her hand and sending the blaster flying across the room. Joyce went for her second blaster, but Buffy relieved her of that as well. The elder Slayer crossed her arms and looked pointedly at her daughter.

"Just how many times do I have to disarm you?"

"More than that, believe me." She looked around the room, taking in the various pieces of unfamiliar equipment. "Where are we?"

"You are where I've been staying. This is the Watcher's Council, on the planet Earth."

"Never heard of it," Joyce replied flippantly.

"That's because it's in another dimension," Buffy said, causing her daughter to gape at her.

"_Eta Kooram Nah Smech!_" Joyce replied.

"It's the truth," Buffy responded earnestly. Joyce shook her head violently.

"No. It's just another lie. You're trying to make excuses for leaving us. Well, it's not going to work, Jedi! Not on me!" Joyce shoved past Buffy and ran out the door, nearly bowling over Dawn in the process. The young Padawan did a double take at seeing her own face rush past her.

"What the fuck?"

Buffy sighed. "Don't swear, Dawn."

"What ever you say, Hermione," Dawn retorted. "So, what's up with the attack of the clones?"

"That was Joyce, my daughter."

There was a pause as Dawn considered that. "I thought she was dead," she finally said. Buffy sighed sadly and looked out the door towards where her daughter had run.

"So did I, Dawnie," she said quietly. "So did I."

* * *

"So you're telling me that my sister is in another dimension?" 

Han was pacing in front of the crash couches, Chewie standing tautly behind him while Luke, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon sat before him. "You expect me to believe that?"

"It's the truth," Obi-Wan replied.

"It's sithspit!" Han shouted. "It's ridiculous!"

"I've been saying that for years," Luke muttered. Obi-Wan sighed.

"Look, Captain Solo," he started, "Buffy just found her daughter and she wasn't going to be able to talk to her while everyone here is ganging up on her. She brought Joyce across the barrier to try and talk to her. I'm sure they'll be back soon."

Han scowled. "Well, let me tell you this, old man. If they're not back by the time we get to Alderaan, I'm letting you off in the atmosphere. Come on, Chewie," he said to his friend, heading back towards the cockpit. "Let's make sure we lost the Imps."

Obi-Wan sighed as the two left before turning to Luke. "In the mean time, let's say we get started on your training, shall we?"

* * *

Joyce had stopped running and was now walking aimlessly through the halls of the strange building she had ended up in. As ridiculous as it was for her to think, the more she looked around the more she began to believe her mother's story about being in another dimension. 

_She's not my mother_, she thought to herself fiercely. _A mother doesn't abandon her children._

She walked down another hallway, passing portraits of strange looking men and women, passing strangely dressed girls who gave her odd looks as she passed by. Joyce grimaced inside. She was the kind of warrior that prized herself on her stealth abilities, for moving around unseen even in a crowd.

Unfortunately, there was no one else wearing armor here.

She rounded a corner and stopped dead in her tracks. Heading towards her, her head down in a book, was a woman whose face and name was burned in her memory-

Darth Traya.

Joyce had spent many hours studying the invasion of Corellia by the Separatists and the events that led to the death of her father. She knew that Darth Traya was the right hand to Count Dooku and that she had ordered the total extermination of the population of her home planet. She had heard stories that she had even hired mercs to kill Buffy and anyone she was close to - including her father.

And now the woman who was responsible for all of the grief, all of the pain in her life, was walking towards her, completely oblivious. She felt the anger well up inside of her, and welcomed it. She wasn't a Jedi. She didn't use powers to hurt and kill - that's what her blasters were for. And even without them, she had a few surprises in her suit.

Calmly, she walked towards the object of her hatred, who finally glanced up.

"Dawnie, what's wrong…" Willow said and then trailed off as she took in her outfit. "You didn't go back to Coruscant again, did – wait..." she said, finally realizing. "You're not Dawn…"

Joyce stopped in front of the witch, her cold eyes boring into the horrified gaze of the redheaded witch. "No, I'm not. My name is Joyce Solo. And I've waited a long time for this moment, Darth Traya…"

* * *

Admiral Motti entered the quiet conference room, his face streaked by the linear lights lining the walls. His gaze went to the spot where Governor Tarkin stood before the curved viewscreen and he bowed slightly. Despite the evidence of the small green gem of a world entered in the screen, he formally announced, "We have entered the Alderaan system. We await your order." 

The door signaled and Tarkin made a falsely gentle gesture to the admiral. "Wait a moment yet, Motti."

The door slid aside and Leia Organa entered, flanked by two armed guards, followed by Darth Vader and Master Halcyon.

"Governor Tarkin," she spat. "I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash. I thought I recognized your foul stench when I was first brought on board."

"Charming to the last," Tarkin declared in a fashion which suggested he was anything but charmed. "You don't know how hard I found it to sign the order for your termination." His expression changed to one of mock sorrow. "Of course, had you cooperated in our investigation, things might be otherwise. Lord Vader has informed me that your resistance to our traditional methods of inquiry—"

"Torture, you mean," she countered a trifle shakily.

"Let us not bandy semantics," Tarkin smiled.

"I'm surprised you had the courage to take the responsibility for issuing the order on yourself."

Tarkin sighed reluctantly. "I am a dedicated man and the pleasures I reserve for myself are few. One of them is that before your execution I should like you to be my guest at a small ceremony. It will certify this battle station's operational status while at the same time ushering in a new era of Imperial technical supremacy. This station is the final link in the newly-forged Imperial chain which will bind the million systems of the galactic Empire together once and for all. Your RebelAlliance will no longer be of any concern to us. After today's demonstration no one will dare to oppose the Empire."

Organa looked at him with contempt. "Force will not keep the Empire together. Force has never kept anything together for very long. The more you tighten your grip, the more systems will slip through your fingers. You're a foolish man, Governor. Foolish men often choke to death on their own delusions."

Tarkin smiled a death's-head smile, his face a parchment skulls. "It will be interesting to see what manner of passing Lord Vader has in mind for you. I am certain it will be worthy of you—and of him. But before you leave us, we must demonstrate the power of this station once and for all, in a conclusive fashion. In a way, you have determined the choice of subject for this demonstration. Since you have proven reluctant to supply us with the location of the rebel stronghold, I have deemed it appropriate to select as an alternate subject your represented planet of Alderaan."

"No! You can't! Alderaan is a peaceful world, with no weapons to speak of! You can't..."

Tarkin's eyes gleamed. "You would prefer another target? A military target, perhaps? Then name the system." He shrugged elaborately. "I grow tired of such games. For the last time, where is the main rebel base?"

A voice announced over a hidden speaker that they had approached within antigrav range of Alderaan—approximately six planetary diameters. That was enough to accomplish what all of Vader's infernal devices had failed to.

"Dantooine," she whispered, staring at the deck, all pretense at defiance gone now. "They're on Dantooine."

Tarkin let out a slow sigh of satisfaction, then turned to the black figure nearby. "There, you see, Lord Vader? She can be reasonable." He directed his attention to the other officers. "Proceed with the operation, gentlemen. You may fire when ready."

It took several seconds for Tarkin's words, so casually uttered, to penetrate. _"What!"_ Organa finally gasped.

"You're far too trusting." Tarkin chided sarcastically. "Dantooine," Tarkin explained, examining his fingers, "is far too remote to serve as an effective demonstration. Have no fear, though. We will deal with your rebel friends on Dantooine as soon as possible."

"No..." Organa started to protest.

He gestured to the two soldiers flanking her. "Escort her to the principal observation level and," he smiled, "make certain she is provided with an unobstructed view."

* * *

Anakin and Padmé sat with Tara, Kennedy, Spike and Zett sat in the TV lounge watching Passions. Anakin held Padmé close to him, munching on a bowl of popcorn that Padmé occasionally dipped into. 

"This show is terrible. It's completely unbelievable," he remarked, eyes never leaving the screen.

"It's not supposed to be believable, it's supposed to be entertaining," Spike remarked.

"It shouldn't even be entertaining, how bad it is," Padmé said. "Still, its better acting than some of the Senators I used to serve with were capable of."

"You see, this is all a part of my plan for world domination," Spike said conversationally. "First, I get everyone here addicted to Passions. Then when I make my move, they'll all be to busy watching it to stop me."

"A masterful plan, worthy of a Master Vampire like yourself," Tara said amicably, sneaking some popcorn from Anakin who unsuccessfully tried to swat her hand away. She popped on kernel in her mouth, then another in Kennedy's. Spike smiled.

"Thanks Glinda. I certainly thought so-"

Further conversation was cut off when two figures suddenly smashed through the opaque glass wall that separated the room from the hallway and landed on the floor of the lounge amid the broken glass. There was a brief struggle, then they all saw the impossible - Dawn kneeling on top of Willow dressed in strange armor, her right hand raised to strike. In a flash, two wicked looking blades popped out of the gauntlet on her arm.

"Time to die, you fucking BITCH!" Joyce snarled. Willow looked up in fear, which quickly turned to a look of resignation. Joyce moved to bring the blades down into her face, but her arm was intercepted by an iron grip. She looked up to see a snarling, deformed male face with blond hair and long, pointed teeth.

"You're not Dawn and this ain't happening," Spike snarled, yanking the girl up. She surprised him by going with the momentum, spinning around and belting him with her left fist. The force of the impact caused him to let go of her arm and Joyce spun around and slashed at Spike, cutting his chest deeply. Kennedy moved in, batting away the blades and belting her twice in quick succession in the face before grabbing her by the throat and lifting her into the air. Joyce lashed out with her left foot, catching Kennedy in the face and dazing her long enough for the Slayer to drop her. She moved to stab the girl in the chest, but suddenly a voice cried out "Thicken!" and the air around her seemed to congeal. She started in anger at Tara, who had her hand extended and a look of intense concentration on her face. Joyce struggled to move and she unconsciously tapped into the Force to fight against her imprisonment. With a loud bang and a flash of light, the air around her exploded, causing Joyce to drop and throwing Tara into Anakin and Padmé. The young Mandalorian struggled to her feet and staggered towards Willow, who was rising herself. Joyce moved to strike-

- and was brought up short by a brilliant blue blade of a lightsaber that suddenly flared to life under her chin.

"That's enough, niece-o-mine," Dawn said, holding her one ignited blade steady. It was soon joined by Anakin's.

"_Go HWONG-TONG_," the Jedi Master said softly. "This place is a sanctuary. There is NO KILLING here, _DONG-luh MAH_?"

"You can't stop me from fulfilling _skira_!" Joyce protested. She turned her head slightly towards Dawn and froze in shock as she saw the face that stared back. It was her face, aside from some differences. The nose was a little thinner and the eyes were a silver-gray instead of the deep blue of hers. Dawn noticed her stare and smirked.

"Yeah, this is weird for me, too," Dawn remarked. "Now, what's to say you drop the blades? Or at least put them away."

"EVERYBODY put their weapons away," A voice said from the hallway. All eyes turned towards Buffy, who stood calmly with her arms behind her back. "Anakin, Dawn - put them up."

Dawn stared at her sister for a moment, then at Joyce and then finally shut off her saber. Anakin quickly followed suit and hooked his back on his belt. Joyce hesitated for an instant, then flexed her hand and retracted her blades. Buffy nodded in agreement.

"Joyce, let's take a walk," She said then moved down the hall, obviously expecting Joyce to follow. After a few moments' indecision, she followed.

* * *

The two made their way down to the lake, where the memorial stood. Joyce glanced at the wall impassively. 

"What's this?" she asked in a bored tone.

"Your legacy," Buffy replied, getting her daughters attention instantly. "Did you ever wonder where that extra strength came from? Or how you were faster than everybody else? Or how your wounds would heal fast, even without bacta?" Absently Joyce nodded, staring at the names on the wall. "When I was fifteen, I was chosen. One girl in all the world, with the strength and skills to fight the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness - that's what I was told. I became the Slayer. The names you see before you are all of the Slayers that came before me. Also here are the names of the Watchers - those who guide the Slayers - as well as our loved one that have passed on."

"What's all of this have to do with me?"

"Well, there are many Slayers now," Buffy continued patiently. "And I may be a Jedi, but I'm still a Slayer. It would appear that you inherited a portion of that power as well. We have no real evidence to back it up - Slayers normally don't have children and the one we know about is a man with no powers, so maybe it's only a girl thing."

Joyce was half paying attention, her focus on the names instead. She came upon a familiar name and stopped.

_Joyce Summers_

_Beloved Mother_

Buffy noticed where Joyce's gaze was fixed and smiled sadly. "That's your grandmother, my birth mother. I named you after her."

Joyce nodded and then looked at the name under it.

_Buffy Anne Summers_

_Beloved Sister_

_Devoted Friend_

_She saved the world a lot_

Buffy chuckled. "They thought I was dead for a time."

Joyce raised an eyebrow. "Runs in the family, does it?"

Buffy nodded slowly, turning her gaze back to the wall. Joyce followed her gaze and gasped at the names she saw under Buffy's.

_Jacen Solo_

_Han Solo_

_Joyce Solo_

_My love, My life, My Child_

_Be at peace and may we find each other_

_In the Force one day_

"Daddy," Joyce whispered as she reverently ran her fingers over her father's name.

"I come here every day. To remember…" Buffy took a shuddering breath before she pressed on. "I was chosen as a Slayer, Joyce. That meant that I wasn't supposed to live past eighteen. When I was younger, I never even thought about having children - I never expected to live long enough to have any. So when I had you," she paused for a moment to compose herself, wiping away the tears that were falling freely now. "When I had you, it was an answer to a prayer that I never knew I had uttered. The happiest day of my life was the day you were born. When I thought you were all dead - I nearly died. I tried to die." Images of holding the _Falcon _steady as they sped towards the Separatists command ship during their escaped flashed through her mind.

"Why?" Joyce whispered. "Why did you leave?"

"The day I left, I had gone out on a routine patrol to investigate something that had landed near our camp," Buffy explained. "It turns out it was my brother and his Master and they had come to rescue me. They told me they came to bring me back. I told them I wasn't leaving."

"Then why did you?" Joyce demanded, her voice hard.

"I found your father's body. The building was collapsed; smoking. You and Han had been home when I had left…"

"He had brought me to the park," Joyce said quietly. "I remember crawling around in the grass while he watched me. Then I remember pain, lots of pain." She shuddered at the early memory. "I remember wishing it would go away and it did."

"You shut yourself off from the Force," Buffy realized. "You were so young, you did it instinctively. That's why I couldn't feel you…"

"So it's my fault?"

"No!" Buffy added quickly. "It's mine. Jesus, Joyce! You felt your father die! You felt all of them die! I should have realized you would have cut yourself off…"

"So we both screwed up," Joyce sighed, sitting down on the ground. "You didn't look and I thought you just didn't care." The girl looked up at her mother, a haunted expression on her face. "So, what now?"

Buffy sat down next to her daughter and gently placed an arm around her. Joyce stiffened and then started to relax into the hold slightly. "Now we have a conversation without trying to kill each other." Joyce let out a choked laugh and then fully relaxed into the embrace, her eyes never leaving the stone that bared her father's name.

* * *

The two women had retired to Buffy room in the Council building. Joyce moved around slowly, taking in everything. She stopped at the fireplace and looked at the pictures that adorned the mantel. 

"What is this place, anyways?"

"Our haven," Buffy replied, fixing two glasses of Corellian brandy. "When the purge happened, we realized we needed a safe place to gather the surviving Jedi. We kind of lucked out that my friends and family found us when they did and brought us back here. This is actually where I'm from, originally."

"You're from another dimension?" Joyce asked, looking back at her mother unbelievingly. Buffy shrugged.

"That's another story for another time," she said, handing the drink to Joyce. The girl took a sip and nodded appreciatively.

"Nice." She nodded to a picture of Dawn. "So who's the look-a-like?"

"Your Aunt Dawn," Buffy paused for a second, "or possibly your sister. Depends on your point of view."

Joyce blinked, nodded and then downed the brandy. "I think I'll probably need another one of these."

Buffy chuckled as she refilled the glass. "You get used to it, believe me. What about you?" she regarded the armor. "What's with the armor? It's Mandalorian, right?"

Joyce shrugged. "I'm a Mandalorian."

"I thought you were Corellian."

Joyce chuckled and took a sip of her drink. "When I was twelve, Han enrolled in the Imperial Academy and I got sent to an Imperial Boarding School. After about six months I got sick of it, so I stole an Imperial shuttle and ran away."

"You stole an Imperial shuttle?" Buffy repeated.

"Are you going to reprimand me?"

"No, no." Buffy chuckled. "Just impressed you were such a delinquent at such a young age." She paused a moment. "You really are my daughter," she muttered under her breath.

"Call it a lack of a positive role model," Joyce replied dryly. "Anyways, I wandered for a few months before I ended up in the Mandalorian sector, where I caught the eye of the _Mand'alor _- the ruler of the Mandalorian people."

"How'd you do that?"

"I had heard about the Mandalorians and they appealed to me. I guess, thinking back now, their lifestyle appealed to the Slayer in me. A couple of them were giving me trouble, saying an _aruetiise_ like me had no business with them. I proved them wrong."

"You kicked their asses," Buffy interpreted. Joyce raised her glass in acknowledgement and took a sip.

"They respected me a hell of a lot more after that. Anyway, the Mand'alor took me under his wing, taught me his trade. After about two years, I settled down on Mandalore and learned more about the people and customs. I became a Mandalorian."

"Just like that?"

"Blood doesn't matter to them, Buffy. Intent does. Sincerity in your beliefs does. For years with Han, I felt like an outsider. When I was on Mandalor, I felt like I belonged. It felt right."

Buffy nodded and finished off her drink. "So, how did you and Han find each other again?"

Joyce chuckled in amusement. "About four years after I ran, I took a contract. Some deadbeat, low level smuggler had racked up a debt and hadn't paid it back. Guess who it was?"

"Your brother?" Buffy guessed. "And you were working as a bounty hunter?"

"What do you think the Mand'alor taught me, basket weaving?" Joyce shot back. "And yes, it was Han. So I took the contract, tracked down my brother, paid of the debt and then collected the bounty, which was double what Han owed. Made a nice little profit from that. And I've been riding with Han ever since, watching his six."

"A Mandalorian and a Wookie guarding Han. He's got to be the most protected smuggler in the Outer Rim," Buffy mused.

"Just about," Joyce mused. There was an awkward silence for a few moments before she spoke again. "So now what?"

"I'm not sure," Buffy admitted. "But let me tell you this - despite whether you acknowledge it or not, I am your mother. And I will not abandon you again, now that I found you. I promise you that."

Joyce only sat back in her chair, silently contemplating. Buffy sighed and sat back herself, finishing her drink.

* * *

On the Falcon, both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon both stumbled, feeling something through the Force. Ben leaned against a counter while Qui-Gon stumbled back into the crash couches. Luke noticed and shut off his saber. 

"Are you two all right?" he asked them. Qui-Gon shook his head.

"No, but give me a few moments and I will be."

"What happened?"

"We felt a great disturbance through the Force," Ben explained, "as if suddenly millions of voices cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced." He motioned to Luke. "You should get on with your exercises."

Luke nodded and switched his lightsaber back on. Meanwhile Han was busily checking readouts from gauges and dials in the hold area. Occasionally he would pass a small box across various sensors, study the result and cluck with pleasure.

"You can stop worrying about your Imperial friends," he told Luke and Ben. "They'll never be able to track us now. Told you I'd lose them."

Kenobi might have nodded briefly in response, but he was engaged in explaining something to Luke.

"Don't everybody thank me at once," Solo grunted, slightly miffed. "Anyway, navigation computer calculates our arrival in Alderaan orbit at oh-two-hundred."

He returned to his checking, passing in front of a small circular table. The top was covered with small squares lit from beneath, while computer monitors were set into each side. Tiny three-dimensional figures were projected above the tabletop from various squares.

Chewbacca sat hunched over one side of the table, his chin resting in massive hands. His great eyes glowing and facial whiskers wrinkled upward, he gave every sign of being well-pleased with himself.

At least, he did until Artoo Detoo reached up with a stubby clawed limb across from him and tapped his own computer monitor. One of the figures walked abruptly across the board to a new square and stopped there.

An expression of puzzlement and then anger crossed the Wookiee's face as he studied the new configuration. Glaring up and over the table, he vented a stream of abusive gibberish on the inoffensive machine. Artoo could only beep in reply, but Threepio soon interceded on behalf of his less eloquent companion and began arguing with the hulking Wookie.

"He executed a fair move. Screaming about it won't help you."

Solo looked back over his shoulder, frowning slightly. "Let him have it. It's not wise to upset a Wookiee."

"But sir," Threepio argues, "no one worries about upsetting a droid!"

"That's because droids don't rip people's arms out when they loose. Wookiee's are known to do that," Han replied. For his part, Chewie just sat back in his seat with his hands behind his head. Qui-Gon chuckled.

"I'd like to offer a new strategy, Artoo," the elder Jedi said. "Let the Wookiee win."

Oblivious to the altercation, Luke stood frozen in the middle of the hold. He held an activated lightsaber in position over his head. A low hum came from the ancient instrument while Luke lunged and parried under Ben Kenobi's instructive gaze. As Solo glanced from time to time at Luke's awkward movements, his lean features were sprinkled with smugness.

"No, Luke, your cuts should flow, not be so choppy," Kenobi instructed gently. "Remember, a Jedi can actually feel the force flowing through them."

"You mean it controls your actions?" Luke inquired.

"Partially, but it also obeys your commands."

The Jedi was hefting a silvery globe about the size of a man's fist. It was covered with fine antennae, some as delicate as those of a moth. He flipped it toward Luke and watched as it halted a couple of meters away from the boy's face.

Luke readied himself as the ball circled him slowly, turning to face it as it assumed a new position. Abruptly it executed a lightning-swift lunge, only to freeze about a meter away. Luke failed to succumb to the feint, and the ball soon backed off. Moving slowly to one side in an effort to get around the balls fore sensors, Luke drew the saber back preparatory to striking. As he did so the ball darted in behind _him_. A thin pencil of red light jumped from one of the antennae to the back of Luke's thigh, knocking him to the deck even as he was bringing his saber around—too late.

Rubbing at his tingling, sleeping leg, Luke tried to ignore the burst of accusing laughter from Solo. "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid," the pilot sneered.

"You don't believe in the Force?" asked Luke, struggling back to his feet. The numbing effect of the beam wore off quickly.

"Kid, I've been from one end of this galaxy to the other," the pilot boasted, "and I've seen a lot of strange things. But I've never seen anything to make me believe that there was some all powerful force controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny."

Kenobi only smiled gently before turning back to face Luke. "I suggest you try it again, Luke," he said soothingly. "Only this time you should let go of your physical self." He hefted a blast-shielded helmet and placed it on Luke's head.

"But with the blast shield down, I can't even see! How am I supposed to fight?"

"Your eyes can deceive you, Luke," Qui-Gon said. "Don't trust them. Concentrate on the living Force, let it flow through you."

"I _can't_ do it," Luke moaned. "I'll get hit again."

"Not if you let yourself trust _you_," Kenobi insisted, none too convincingly for Luke. "This is the only way to be certain you're relying wholly on the Force."

Noticing that the skeptical Corellian had turned to watch, Kenobi hesitated momentarily. It did Luke no good to have the self-assured pilot laugh every time a mistake was made. But coddling the boy would do him no good either and there was no time for it anyway. _Throw him in and hope he floats_, Ben instructed himself firmly. Bending over the chrome globe, he touched a control at its side. Then he tossed it straight up. It arched toward Luke. Braking in mid fall, the ball plummeted stone-like toward the deck. Luke swung the saber at it. While it was a commendable try, it wasn't nearly fast enough. Once again the little antenna glowed. This time the crimson needle hit Luke square on the seat of his pants. Though it wasn't an incapacitating blow, it felt like one and Luke let out a yelp of pain as he spun, trying to strike his invisible tormentor.

"Relax!" Quinn urged him. "Be free. You're trying to use your eyes and ears. Stop predicting and use the rest of your mind."

Suddenly the youth stopped, wavering slightly. The seeker was still behind him. Changing direction again, it made another dive and fired. Simultaneously the lightsaber jerked around, as accurate as it was awkward in its motion, to deflect the bolt. This time the ball didn't fall motionless to the deck. Instead it backed up three meters and remained there, hovering.

Aware that the drone of the seeker remote no longer assaulted his ears, a cautious Luke peeked out from under the helmet. Sweat and exhaustion competed for space on his face.

"Did I—?"

"I told you that you could," Kenobi informed him with pleasure. "Once you start to trust your inner self there'll be no stopping you."

"I'd call it luck," snorted Solo as he concluded his examination of the readouts.

"In my experience there is no such thing as luck."

"Call it what you like," the Corellian sniffed indifferently, "but good against a remote is one thing. Good against the living is another."

As he was speaking a small telltale light on the far side of the hold had begun flashing. Chewbacca noticed it and called out to him.

Solo glanced at the board and then informed his passengers, "We're coming up on Alderaan. And might I say that my sister still isn't here, so I hop you brought your chutes. Come on, Chewie."

Rising from the game table, the Wookiee followed his partner toward the cockpit. Luke watched them depart, but his mind wasn't on their imminent arrival at Alderaan. It was burning with something else, something that seemed to grow and mature at the back of his brain as he dwelt on it.

"You know," he murmured, "I did feel something. I could almost 'see' the outlines of the remote." He gestured at the hovering device behind him.

Qui-Gon's voice when he replied was solemn. "Luke, you've taken the first step into a larger universe."

Dozens of humming, buzzing instruments lent the freighter's cockpit the air of a busy hive. Solo and Chewbacca had their attention locked on the most vital of those instruments.

"Steady... stand by, Chewie." Solo adjusted several manual compensators. "Ready to go sublight... ready... cut us in, Chewie."

The Wookiee turned something on the console before him. At the same time Solo pulled back on the hyperdrive activator and abruptly the long streaks of Doppler-distorted starlight slowed to hyphen shapes, then finally to familiar bolts of fire. A gauge on the console registered zero.

Gigantic chunks of glowing stone appeared out of the nothingness, barely shunted aside by the ship's deflectors. The strain caused the _Millennium Falcon_ to begin shuddering violently.

"What the—?" a thoroughly startled Solo muttered. Next to him, Chewbacca offered no comment of his own as he flipped off several controls and activated others. Only the fact that the cautious Solo always emerged from hyperspace with his deflectors up—just in case any of many unfriendly folks might be waiting for him—had saved the freighter from instant destruction.

Luke fought to keep his balance as he made his way into the cockpit. "What's going on?"

"Aw, we've come out of hyperspace into a meteor shower. Some kind of asteroid collision. It's not on any of our charts." He peered hard at several indicators. "Our position is correct, only no Alderaan."

"What do you mean? Where is it?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, kid. It's been totally blown away," Han replied.

"But—how?"

"Destroyed. By the Empire," a voice declared firmly. Ben Kenobi had come in behind Luke and his attention was held by the emptiness ahead as well as the import behind it.

"No." Solo was shaking his head slowly. In his own way even he was stunned by the enormity of what the old man was suggesting. That a human agency had been responsible for the annihilation of an entire population, of a planet itself... "No... the entire Imperial fleet couldn't have done this. It would take a thousand ships massing a lot more firepower than has ever existed."

Muffled alarms began humming loudly as a synchronous light flashed on the control console. Solo bent to the appropriate instrumentation.

"Another ship," he announced. "Can't judge the type yet."

"A survivor, maybe—someone who might know what happened," Luke ventured hopefully.

Ben Kenobi's next words shattered more than that hope. "That's an Imperial fighter."

Chewbacca suddenly gave an angry bark. A huge flower of destruction blossomed outside the port, battering the freighter violently. A tiny, double-winged ball raced past the cockpit port.

"It followed us!" Luke shouted.

"No, it's a short range fighter," Qui-Gon said, coming into the cockpit.

"But where did it come from?" the Corellian wanted to know. "There are no Imperial bases near here."

"It's leaving in a big hurry," Luke noted, studying the tracker. "No matter where it's going, if it identifies us we're in big trouble."

"Not if I can help it," Solo declared. "Chewie, jam its transmission. Lay in a pursuit course."

"It would be best to let it go," Kenobi ventured thoughtfully. "It's already too far out of range."

"Not for long."

Several minutes followed, during which the cockpit was filled with a tense silence. All eyes were on the tracking screen and viewport. At first the Imperial fighter tried a complex evasive course, to no avail. The surprisingly maneuverable freighter hung tight on its tail, continuing to make up the distance between them. Seeing that he couldn't shake his pursuers, the fighter pilot had obviously opened up his tiny engine all the way.

Ahead, one of the multitude of stars was becoming steadily brighter. Luke frowned. They were moving fast, but not nearly fast enough for any heavenly object to brighten so rapidly. Something here didn't make sense.

"Impossible for a fighter that small to be this deep in space on its own," Qui-Gon observed.

"It must have gotten lost, been part of a convoy or something," Luke hypothesized.

Solo's comment was gleeful. "Well, he won't be around long enough to tell anyone about us. We'll be on top of him in a minute or two."

The star ahead continued to brighten, its glow evidently coming from within. It assumed a circular outline.

"He's heading for that small moon," Luke murmured.

"Don't worry, he's almost in range."

They drew steadily nearer. Gradually craters and mountains on the moon became visible. Yet there was something extremely odd about them. The craters were far too regular in outline, the mountains far too vertical, canyons and valleys impossibly straight and regularized. Nothing as capricious as volcanic action had formed those features.

"That's no moon," Kenobi breathed softly. "That's a space station."

"That's impossible!" Solo objected.

"I have a very bad feeling about this," was Luke's comment.

"Turn the ship around," Kenobi said calmly.

"Yes, I think you're right. Full reverse, Chewie."

The Wookiee started adjusting controls and the freighter seemed to slow, arcing around in a broad curve. The tiny fighter leaped instantly toward the monstrous station until it was swallowed up by its overpowering bulk.

Chewbacca chattered something at Solo as the ship shook and strained against unseen forces.

"Lock in auxiliary power!" Solo ordered.

Gauges began to whine in protest and by ones and twos every instrument on the control console sequentially went berserk. Try as he might, Solo couldn't keep the surface of the gargantuan station from looming steadily larger, larger—until it became the heavens.

Luke stared wildly at secondary installations as big as mountains, dish antennae larger than all of Mos Eisley. "Why are we still moving toward it?"

"Too late," Kenobi whispered softly. A glance at Solo confirmed his concern.

"We're caught in a tractor beam—strongest one I ever saw. It's dragging us in," the pilot muttered.

"You mean, there's nothing you can do?" Luke asked, feeling unbelievably helpless.

Solo studied the overloaded sensor readouts and shook his head. "Not against this kind of power. I'm on full power myself, kid, and it's not shifting out of course a fraction of a degree. It's no use. I'm going to have to shut down or we'll melt our engines. But they're not going to suck me up like so much dust without a fight!"

He started to vacate the pilot's chair, but was restrained by an aged yet powerful hand on his shoulder. An expression of concern was on the old man's face—and yet, a suggestion of something somewhat less funereal.

"If it's a fight you cannot win—well, my boy, there are always alternatives to fighting..."

The true size of the battle station became apparent as the freighter was pulled closer and closer. Running around the station's equator was an artificial cluster of metal mountains, docking ports stretching beckoning fingers nearly two kilometers above the surface.

Now only a minuscule speck against the gray bulk of the station, the _Millennium Falcon_ was sucked toward one of the massive hanger bays that soon swallowed the ship whole. Whether they liked it or not, Han Solo and company were now guests of the Empire.

**TBC…**

Twenty five pages, over nine thousand words, and this clocks in as my longest chapter yet. Next chapter we get the romp through the Death Star and Buffy and Joyce come back to help break our heroes out - and someone will DIE!


	9. Chapter 8: Escape from the Death Star

**Episode 4 Chapter 8**

**Escape from the Death Star**

**Disclaimer: See Ch. 1 **

* * *

**Death Star Briefing Room.**

Tarkin turned as an Imperial officer entered the chamber. "Yes, what is it, Cass?"

"Governor, the advance scouts have reached Dantooine. They have found the remains of a rebel base... which they estimate has been deserted for some time. Years, possibly. They are proceeding with an extensive survey of the remainder of the system." The officer gave a curt bow and then turned and left with all due haste.

Tarkin turned apoplectic, his face darkening to a fine pomegranate fury. "She lied! She lied to us!" he turned towards Vader, who was leaning nonchalantly against the wall. "Terminate her immediately!"

"Calm yourself, Tarkin," Vader advised him. "You would throw away our only link to the real rebel base so casually? She can still be of value to us."

"_Fagh!_ You just said it yourself, Vader: we'll get nothing more out of her. I'll find that hidden fortress if I have to destroy every star system in this sector. I'll—" A quiet yet demanding beep interrupted him. "Yes, what is it?" he inquired irritably.

A voice reported over an unseen speaker. "Sirs, we've captured a small freighter that was entering the remains of Alderaan. Its' markings apparently match that of the ship which blasted its way out of the quarantine at Mos Eisley."

"Someone apparently received the missing data tapesto the Senator," Vader said. "We may still have some use for her."

"Very well," Tarkin replied. "Keep her alive. For now." He turned to the officer. "Anything else?"

"Lady Jade's shuttle has arrived as well. She brings news from the Emperor for Master Halcyon."

"Then make sure she is accommodated. Vader, I leave this other matter to your capable hands."

The Dark Lord bowed slightly, a gesture which Tarkin acknowledged with a perfunctory salute. Then he spun and strode from the room, leaving Motti to find Master Halcyon.

* * *

Vader strode up to the captain who stood outside the _Falcon_ with a squad of Storm Troopers. "Report," he snapped, causing the captain to snap to attention.

"The ship appears to be deserted, sir," he replied. "The ships' log says that the crew abandoned ship shortly after lift off and several of the escape pods have been jettisoned."

"Did you find any droids?"

"No sir. If they were on board, they must have also jettisoned."

"Very well," Vader said finally. "Send a scanning party on board. I want every part of this ship searched." He paused for a moment and then reached out through the Force. He senesed something vague and undefined which caused him to frown. "I sense something. A presence I've not felt since…" Vader trailed off, abruptly turning and stalking out of the hangar.

* * *

Halcyon approached the shuttle whose ramp was lowering. As it sit down Mara exited.

"Master Halcyon. Good to see you again," she said.

"Mara," he replied. "What is our master's bidding?"

"We are to return to Imperial City as soon as possible," she replied

"Very well. We shall leave shortly," he replied.

"What's all the commotion?" Mara asked.

"Just some Rebels, nothing much," Halcyon replied. Mara nodded thoughtfully.

"Then let's stay around for a bit and see what happens, shall we?" she said, and the two headed off to the control room.

* * *

The _Falcon_ seemed to be deserted to the Storm Troopers that had searched the ship. But any smuggler worth his salt knew how to hide undesirables from government search teams. Of course, Han Solo had never thought of himself as undesirable before. But it was nice to have a place to hide…

"This is ridiculous," he remarked as he pulled himself out of the hidden smuggling compartment. Luke and Obi-Wan were pushing up the floor tile that covered theirs, as was Qui-Gon. "Even if I could take off, I'd never get past the tractor beam."

Qui-Gon looked to Obi-Wan, who nodded in silent agreement. "Leave that to us," the Jedi told the smuggler, who scowled.

"Damn old fool, I knew you'd say that," he grumbled. Kenobi smirked.

"Who's the more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?" He paused for a moment as he heard a storm trooper speak.

"She's all yours. If you find anything, report it immediately."

"Yes sir!" a voice responded and, after a moment, the sound of footsteps echoed up the ramp and through the halls and two technicians carrying a heavy case stepped into the deserted ship. Without preamble, they moved down the hall towards the cockpit-

And were thrown into the bulkhead when the deck beneath them lurched up suddenly.

Before they could react, a large and angry Wookie slammed both of their heads into the bulkhead, knocking them out.

"Hey down there, could you give us a hand?" Han called out, pulling out his blaster.

* * *

Up in the command office, a young officer noticed that the two Troopers left to guard the _Falcon_ were missing for their posts. He hit the com button.

"TK-421, why aren't you at your post?" he asked, frowning when he didn't receive an answer. "TK-421, respond!"

Suddenly a Storm Trooper walked down the ramp of the ship and tapped the side of his helmet. The officer nodded and turned to his companion.

"Looks like a bad transmitter. Take over here, I'm going down there to see what I can do," he remarked, hitting the door button. The door slid up to reveal a very angry Wookie, who roared at the officer before he slammed him across the room with a massive blow. The second officer stood drawing his blaster, but was shot by a Storm Trooper before he could even think of pulling the trigger. The two walked calmly into the room, followed by the two Jedi, the Droids and another Storm Trooper who closed the door. He removed his helmet revealing the young features of Luke Skywalker, who turned to the other trooper immediately.

"You know, between his howling and your blasting everything in sight, it's a wonder that the whole station doesn't know we're here!"

Han pulled off his own helmet and rolled his eyes. "Bring it on! I prefer a straight fight to all of this sneaking around."

Kenobi and Qui-Gon ignored the two bickering men, instead turning to Artoo. "Plug in," Ben instructed the little droid, who obediently plugged his access plug into the terminal. "He should be able to interpret the entire Imperial network."

Several moments passed as Artoo sifted through the Imperial files. Suddenly he beeped excitedly, "He's found it, Sir!" Threepio exclaimed "The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactors at seven locations. A loss of power at any one of the stations will shut down the tractor beam."

Qui-Gon and Kenobi watched the schematics scroll across the screens, then shared a look. Finally, Qui-Gon spoke.

"I don't think there's any way you boys can help with this," he told them. "We must go alone."

"That suits me fine," said Solo readily. "I've already done more than I bargained for on this trip."

Luke wasn't put off so easily. "I want to go with you."

"Don't be impatient, Luke," Qui-Gon said. "Stay and watch over the droids. They must be delivered to the rebel forces or many more worlds will meet the same fate as Alderaan." He put a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder. "The Force will be with you. Always."

"When Buffy and Joyce return, they will appear inside the _Falcon_. They will be waiting for us when we leave," Obi-Wan assured Han and then moved to the door and opened it. The two Jedi looked once left, once right and disappeared down a long, glowing hallway.

As soon as they were gone Chewbacca growled and Solo nodded agreement. "You said it, Chewie!" He turned to Luke. "Where'd you dig up those old fossils?"

"Quinton Jinn and Ben Kenobi are great men," Luke protested loftily.

"Yeah," Han snorted, "great at getting us into trouble."

"Well I didn't hear you giving any other bright ideas!" Luke shot back challengingly.

"Anything would be better than just waiting here for them to come and pick us up. If we—"

A hysterical whistling and hooting came from the computer console. Luke hurried over to Artoo Detoo. The little droid was all but hopping about on stubby legs. "What now?" Luke asked Threepio.

The taller robot looked puzzled himself. "I'm afraid I don't understand either, sir. He says, 'I found her,' and keeps repeating, 'She's here!'"

"Who's here?"

Artoo turned a flat blinking face toward Luke and whistled frantically.

"Senator Nabberie," Threepio announced after listening carefully. "The person in the message he was carrying."

"Leia? She's here?"

Attracted by the commotion, Solo wandered over. "Senator? What's going on?"

"Where? Where is she?" Luke demanded breathlessly, ignoring Solo completely.

Artoo whistled on while Threepio translated. "Level five, detention block AA-23. According to the information, she is scheduled for slow termination."

"No! We've got to do something."

"What are you talking about?" an exasperated Solo demanded.

"She's the one who programmed the message into Artoo," Luke explained hurriedly, "the one we were trying to deliver to Alderaan. We've got to help her."

"Now, just a minute," Solo cautioned him. "The old man said to wait here, so that's what I'm going to do."

"A minute ago you said you didn't just want to sit here and wait to be captured. Now all you want to do is stay. Which is it, Han?"

The Corellian looked troubled—and confused. "Marching into a detention area's not what I had in mind."

"But they're going to kill her!"

"Better her than me."

Han turned away and Luke frantically searched for a way to enlist his help. Luke may be young and impulsive, but he wasn't delusional. He knew he had no chance of saving his sister by himself. He needed the Corellian's help. But how could he convince him? How could he convince a smuggler…

"She's rich," he said suddenly; Han perked up despite his best efforts.

"Rich?"

"Uh-huh. Rich, powerful - if you were to save her, the reward would be…"

Han looked sharply at Luke. "What?"

Luke shrugged. "Well, more wealth than you can imagine!"

"I don't know," Han retorted, "I can imagine a lot."

"You'll get it."

"I better!"

"You will!"

Han sighed. "All right, what's your plan?"

* * *

The most boring job on the station had to be guarding the detention blocks, so of course those jobs went to the more junior officers. Like the one who was on duty in the high security wing at that moment.

_Seriously_, he thought to himself, _who'd be crazy enough to try and break into a detention block inside the Death Star?_

At that moment his musing were interrupted when the turbolift door opened, revealing two Storm Troopers and - a monkey?

As they stepped out of the lift, he walked around his console towards them.

"Where are you taking this…thing?" he asked disdainfully

"Prisoner transfer from cell block 1138," the shorter trooper said. The officer narrowed his eyes.

"I wasn't notified," he said. "I'll have to clear it." He moved back behind the console as two more guards came to take the tall anthropoid.

Suddenly the Wookie broke loose from the binder cuffs and let out an ear-splitting howl and attacked the closet guard as the Storm Troopers started yelling.

"Look out, he's loose!"

"He'll rip your arms out!"

"I'll get him!"

Blaster fire erupted and it didn't take long for the officer to see how accurate the Storm Troopers fire was actually being. He moved to sound the alarm and was blasted in the chest as a result. His last coherent thought was: _who could be this crazy?_

Solo rushed to the open comlink speaker, which was screeching anxious questions about what was going on. Apparently there were audio as well as visual links between this detention station and elsewhere.

Ignoring the barrage of alternate threats and queries, he checked the readout set in the panel nearby. "We've got to find out which cell this Princess of yours is in. There must be a dozen levels and— here it is. Cell 2187. Go on—Chewie and I'll hold them here."

Han pulled off his helmet and shut off the blaring alarms and hit the coms button.

"Everything's under control," he said into the pickup, sounding reasonably official. "Situation normal."

"What happened?" a voice snapped back in a no-nonsense tone.

"Uh, well, we had a slight weapon malfunction," Solo stammered, his temporary officiallese lapsing into nervousness. "But there's no problem now— we're fine, we're all fine, thanks. How are you?"

"We're sending a squad up," the voice announced suddenly.

Han could almost smell the suspicion at the other end. What to say? He spoke more eloquently with the business end of a blaster.

"Negative—negative. We have a coolant leak. Give us a few minutes to lock it down. Large leak—very dangerous."

"Who is this? What's your operating—?"

Pointing his pistol at the panels, Solo blew the instrumentation to silent scraps. "It was a boring conversation anyway," he murmured. Turning, he shouted down the corridor, "Hurry it up, Luke! We're going to have company."

Luke frantically moved from one side of the hall to the other, looking for the cell. Finally he found it and hit the door release. Inside the cell, his sister lay there on her side, apparently sleeping. As soon as Luke entered, though, she sat up.

Aren't you a little short to be a storm trooper?" she asked sarcastically.

"Huh?" Luke said in confusion and then realized what she meant. "Oh, the uniform." He pulled off the helmet and smiled. "You can't go two weeks without getting into trouble, can you?"

"Luke!" Leia yelled in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"We found Artoo and Threepio. I came with Ben Kenobi and Quinn Jin." He heard shouting from down the hall. "Come on, sis! We got to get out of here!" Blaster fire erupted from outside the hallway and Luke cursed. He came out of the doorway and fried down the hall past Han and Chewie, who were running up to meet them.

"Now what?" the Corellian asked sarcastically, firing back at the Storm Troopers.

"This is some rescue!" Leia exclaimed. "You got in here. Did you have a plan for getting out?"

"He's the brains, sweetheart!" Han retorted.

Leia sighed in frustration, then grabbed her brother's blaster from his hand and blasted a hatch cover across from her.

"What the­-"

"Into the garbage chute, fly-boy!" Leia shouted, firing down the hall at the oncoming Storm Troopers, then tossing the gun back to Luke before finally jumping down the chute.

"Great girl! Either I'm going to kill her, or I'm beginning to like her!" Luke just shot him a look before jumping feet first into the chute. Han turned to his friend. "Go, Chewie!" he shouted, but the Wookie whimpered and shook his head. "I don't care what you smell! Get in there you great furry oaf!" Han gave him a kick in the seat of his pants, sending the Wookie sprawling down the chute. Han backed up and took a few more shots, then finally dived head-first down the chute.

* * *

It took very little effort for Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to sneak past security and find the tractor beam emitter controls. Both Jedi carefully made their way around on the small catwalk to the control panel on the opposite side. The two worked in perfect harmony before Qui-Gon finally spoke.

"You feel it, don't you? The tremor in the Force," he remarked quietly.

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied. "But it can't be possible. He's dead."

"So was I," Qui-Gon replied. "It is conceivable that Sidious cloned C'baoth as well. If he did, then we will have to face him."

Obi-Wan put a hand on his mentor's shoulder. "Than face him we will. Come now, let us finish with this."

* * *

Han finished shrugging off the last of the Storm Trooper armor and tossed it through the now-open door of the trash compactor. Part of him still couldn't believe that it had almost been his grave, so he covered up his feeling in his usual way - with sarcastic bluster.

"Well, if we can just avoid any more female advice, we ought to be able to get out of here," he said, attaching the storm trooper belt around his waist. Leia scowled and moved in front of him.

"Listen, I don't know who you are or where you came from, but from now on you'll do as I say, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned and moved off down the hall behind Chewbacca. Han, taken aback momentarily by how brazen the young Senator had been, soon moved to follow with Luke right behind him.

"Look, your Worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight. I take orders from only one person: me!"

"It's a wonder you're still alive," she remarked dryly, then glanced at Chewie. "Will someone get this big walking carpet out of my way?" she grumbled, pushing past the Wookie.

"No reward is worth this!" Han complained as he followed her.

* * *

The two Jedi made their way silently back towards the hanger, using the Force and their own natural talents at remaining hidden to avoid detection. They were nearly to the ship when a familiar face slid out of the shadows in front of them.

"My, my. The ghosts of the past have come to me once more - and not whom I was expecting," the Jedi master once known as Jorus C'baoth, now known as Darth Vader said. "You of course, Qui-Gon," he nodded to the elder Jedi, "but not you, Obi-Wan." He cast an appraising eye over Kenobi. "I must say, you're not looking quite how I'd expect you to look. You're looking well for your age."

"Yes, well - I eat right, exercise, watch my cholesterol…"

"Now, now Obi-Wan - don't mock the Sith lord. We have a job to do…"

Vader shook his head in disgust. "The great Jedi duo. More like the great Jedi jesters. How you think you could ever stand against my master is beyond me. Look around you!" he exclaimed, gesturing to the walls surrounding them. "This space station holds the power to destroy entire planets! And who will stop it - the Jedi?" he scoffed. "I've spent the past twenty years killing them off while you've been working on your tan, Jinn. Face it - the Jedi Order is dead and the Sith Order is just getting warmed up."

"The Jedi aren't as dead as you would like to believe, Jorus," Qui-Gon remarked, "nor are the Sith as powerful as you would like to believe."

"This station will be destroyed," Obi-Wan added. "As will the Sith."

Vader snarled and activated his lightsaber, the crimson blade reflecting off of the walls. "The only thing that will be destroyed today are two over-confident Jedi." He looked to Qui-Gon. "I've been looking forward to this."

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both ignited their blades. "I'm sure you have, Vader," Qui-Gon replied. "I'm sure you have."

Without further preamble, Vader attacked.

* * *

The small band of escapees made their way to the observation deck above the hanger where the _Millennium Falcon_ was stored. Leia glanced down at the ship in disdain.

"You came in that?" she remarked. "You're braver than I thought."

Han rolled his eyes. "Nice. Come on!" He turned to head towards the stairs when a small squad of Storm Troopers came around the corner.

"It's them! Blast 'em!" one of the Storm Troopers shouted. Han pumped a few shots into the Trooper, sending the others scampering away for cover.

"Get back to the ship!" he cried, running after the fleeing troops. Chewie roared and ran off behind him.

"He sure is brave," Leia remarked. Luke just sighed.

"What good will it do if he gets himself killed?" he asked his sister.

* * *

A flash of light and sound announced the arrival of Buffy and her daughter back on board the _Millennium Falcon_.

"Home sweet home," Joyce remarked. She spied her helmet lying on the deck, right where she had left it before her trip across the dimensional barrier. "How'd we get back to exactly where we left?"

"When I took out the holo, I put in a locater. Helps to pinpoint portal openings on either side of the barrier." She paused and frowned. "Something's wrong…"

"The engines," Joyce said at once. "They're not running."

"Nothing is," Buffy added. "She's powered down."

"This isn't right," Joyce remarked. "Where still in artificial gravity, so we can't be at Alderaan. What's going on?"

"Let's find out," Buffy responded, moving past her daughter towards the cockpit. Joyce followed and the two moved silently through the ship, arriving in no time at the outrider cockpit. The sight outside of it chilled them both.

"This is an Imperial dock," Joyce said, looking around. "Looks brand new. Maybe some new station was built in the Alderaan system and the _Falcon_ got towed in. If that's the case, it's up to us to break everyone out."

Buffy shook her head. "Luke's on the move. So is Leia. They're on their way back here, I bet, so our job is to get the ship ready to leave."

Joyce looked to her mother. "How could you possibly know that?"

"I felt them through the Force," she replied simply.

Joyce sighed and donned her helmet. "Well, I'll get the _Falcon_ ready. You get ready to back them up if they come in hot."

"Yes ma'am," Buffy responded wryly. She glanced back out of the cockpit window and instantly blanched at what she saw - Qui-Gon and Ben, fighting-

C'baoth?

"What the fu-"

* * *

Mara Jade stared impassively as Halcyon used the Force to choke another hapless technician.

"Explain to me how a handful of rebels could cause so much disruption on the Empire's premier battle station?"

"I don't think he can answer you if he can't breath, my lord," Mara remarked dryly. Her eyes fell on a security monitor and narrowed. "What's this?" she demanded of a technician, who had been too terrified of Halcyon to pay attention to his monitors. At once he turned back to the screen and enhanced the image, revealing two Jedi fighting against Darth Vader. Halcyon saw this and immediately dropped his victim, instead moving towards the screen. The mechanically-regulated breathing from the suit sped up as he recognized the figures on the screen.

"Kenobi!" he exclaimed. "If he's here, then…" he trailed off as he reached out through the Force. Suddenly a presence flared to life, one he recognized in a heartbeat. "Skywalker! She's here, in the _Millennium Falcon_." He whirled to face the technician once more, his cape whipping around behind him. "Organize your forces. Have them proceed to the hanger at once. Kill the others, but I want Skywalker ALIVE!"

* * *

Once again, Obi-Wan found himself fighting beside his mentor against a Sith Lord of incredible power. Of course this time he was older and more experienced; though on the flip side Qui-Gon was older and more out of shape, while Vader was seemingly younger and more powerful than Jorus had been when he was killed. Their blades were meeting each others with a flurry of hits and parries, but while the two Jedi were expending a tremendous amount of effort, Vader seemed to be playing with them.

"Your powers are weak, old man!" Vader taunted Qui-Gon, viciously knocking aside the Jedi's blade then kicking him in the face. Qui-Gon stumbled back and Vader turned his full attention to Obi-Wan. He slashed violently at his head and then thrust the blade down low towards his abdomen. Ben barely managed to block, sending the Sith's blade off to the side, but Vader instantly reversed the angle of the blade and swiped low, cutting for his knees. Ben jumped over the blade and backed off.

"Obi-Wan, you disappoint me. Master Yoda always held you in such high esteem." Vader grinned maliciously. "Surely you can do better!"

Vader attacked again, with Obi-Wan desperately blocking his shots. "It's funny you say that, C'baoth. I used to think you were held in high esteem by the Order." Vader lunged and Obi-Wan parried, locking their blades together. "It wasn't until after you were killed on Outbound Flight that I learned how much you were actually despised by everyone." Vader growled and struggled to pull his blade free. "Personally, I never gave you much thought. I was always more concerned with your Padawan. I always felt that Lorana Jinzler would have made an excellent Jedi, if she hadn't been saddle with such an insane, inept Master…"

Vader roared in outraged and ripped his blade free and then started battering at Obi-Wan's defenses. The younger Jedi cursed under his breath as he fought to stop the Sith's attack. _And Buffy says that bantering with the enemy helps to lower their defenses, _he thought darkly to himself. Vader brought his blade down and Obi-Wan blocked, but Vader instantly spun on his foot, spinning the blade around so the blade was pointed behind him and thrust out. The crimson blade impaled Kenobi in the lower abdomen and Vader let the blade sit there for a moment before mercifully pulling it out. Obi-Wan dropped to the ground, groaning in pain.

Obi-Wan looked up at Vader, who was grinning maniacally, then past him to his former master who had risen again. He saw the sad expression in his eyes and instantly knew what he was going to do.

"Qui-Gon, no…"

The elder Jedi nodded to Obi-Wan once, then with the Force activated his PPG. A surprised Vader leapt back as a flash of swirling purple and white energy enveloped Obi-Wan, pulling him across the barrier before dissipating into nothing.

"So that's how he's escaped me all of these years…" Vader said quietly and then turned to face Qui-Gon. "Where has he gone?" he demanded.

"To a place that you cannot follow him, Darth," Qui-Gon responded evenly. "And I have no way to reach him, either." He raised his green blade to a basic neutral stance. "Let's say we finish this, Jorus."

Vader snarled and raised his blade to an aggressive forward stance. "Yes, lets."

* * *

Buffy watched helplessly as Ben was cut down, then teleported away from the safety of the cockpit of the _Falcon_. She looked around the hangar and spied Artoo and Threepio in the far corner. She then saw Han, Luke - and Leia?

Boy, she hated it when she missed important stuff.

It was then that the Storm Troopers in the hanger moved towards the hall at the far end where Qui-Gon was fighting with C'baoth. She turned to her daughter.

"Power her up. We're leaving."

* * *

Han, Leia and Luke raced across the deck towards the _Millennium Falcon_. Luke looked to his right and spotted the droids, then looked past him to see Qui-Gon fighting against Darth Vader - and losing.

"Quinn?"

Qui-Gon glanced over to where Luke stood, then back at Vader and smirked.

"You find this amusing old man?" Vader demanded and then swung his blade across Qui-Gon's chest. The Jedi seemingly brought his blade up to block it-

Then simply let go, closing his eyes a moment before Vader's blade slashed across his body. The impact knocked the still-active lightsaber away and into the hangar - while his body disappeared.

"NO!" Luke screamed. The Storm Troopers immediately turned to investigate the noise and opened fire when they saw who it was. Luke immediately opened fire, taking down several Storm Troopers in quick succession.

"Blast the door, kid!" Han cried and Luke turned his fire onto the door panel. The panel exploded and the blast door slammed shut, holding the Sith Lord behind it. Luke turned to run towards the ship-

And was thrown forward, landing on the ground hard. The blaster flew out of his hand and slid into the open maintenance pit in the floor, out of his reach. Luke looked up at Leia and Han and shouted, "Get on the ship!" He scrambled to his feet and grabbed his father's lightsaber from his belt. He ignited the blue blade and swung around, holding it with two hands in front of him-

And came face to face with the most beautiful redhead he had ever seen. Never mind the fact that she wore a standard grey Imperial uniform and held a crimson-bladed lightsaber loosely at her side, she was still gorgeous.

"Well, would you get a load of this," Mara Jade said, smirking. "The farm boy's got a lightsaber. Put that away, kid, before you poke your eye out or something. Leave these to the professionals."

"I can handle it just fine," Luke shot back defiantly, tightening his grip on his saber. Mara's smirk grew even wider as she slinked slowly up to Luke, till she was a blade's length away from the young farm boy. Suddenly she lashed out with her blade with one hand, effortlessly knocking the blade out of Luke's hand and sending the saber tumbling to the deck. Mara's smirk turned into a broad smile as Luke closed his eyes in frustration.

"Yeah, I can see you handle that real we-" she suddenly used the Force to push Luke out of the way and brought her blade up to intercept Buffy's silver blade. "Do you mind? I was trying to have a conversation here…"

"Just like your mother," Buffy remarked casually, driving the young Hand back, "all talk, no akk!" suddenly Buffy floundered, a vice-like grip crushing her throat. She felt herself being picked up off of the floor and watched helplessly as Mara moved away from her and back towards Luke. Her eyes searched frantically for the source of her torture and settled on an eerily familiar sight of a man in a black suit and mask…

_It's not Anakin…but I'd recognize that presence anywhere._

"Welcome back, Master Skywalker," Nejaa Halcyon intoned, his hand extended in front of him as he used the Force to choke the life out of her. "It's been a long time."

"Hu-Hal," she choked out, "y-you looked bu-bu-better,"

"Your brother and your dear friend took my family away from me, Skywalker," he spat out. "So I intend to return the favor. Starting with his sister and her friends!"

Reaching into the Force with everything she had, she suddenly threw her hand forward and let loose a Force blast that sent Halcyon crashing back into the wall. His concentration broken, Buffy slumped to the ground, where she gasped for breath. She reached for her lightsaber and ignited it, just in time to block a returning Halcyon's own shot.

Luke wasn't having a much better time with Mara. As soon as her attention turned back to Luke, he had thrown a punch into her jaw, snapping her head back and sending her off balance. He had then tackled her, sending them both to the deck and knocking her weapon out of her hand. Of course, Mara Jade had been trained to be the Emperor's Hand. She didn't just know how to fight with a lightsaber.

All too soon Luke found that she was pretty good at hand-to-hand as well.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you, farm boy?" she said scathingly, snapping a kick off and connecting with Luke's jaw. The young Jedi collapsed to the deck, dazed, and Mara used that moment to call her lightsaber back to her hand. "Got to give you points for tenacity, though…"

"Hey, Darth Rosenberg!"

Mara spun around - and promptly received an armored fist to her face, followed by another to her gut. Dazed, her lightsaber fell to the ground and she was helpless as the armored figure grabbed her by the front of her tunic and hauled her up.

"I wasn't allowed to kill your mother and I don't really feel like killing you. Personally, I think that having an evil daughter is poetic justice for that bitch. But, seeing as how I can't let you kill my cousin here - how 'bout a _mirshmure'cya_?" and with that, she reared back and let loose with a vicious head butt, which was only enhanced by her beskar helmet. She let the even more dazed Hand slump to the floor and then grabbed Luke. "Time to co, Cuz!"

Buffy blocked a flurry of shots from Halcyon, desperately holding him back while her friends and family made it back about the ship. She saw Joyce come to Luke's aid, taking down whom Buffy presumed to be Willow's daughter with startling ease.

_A Mandalorian Slayer,_ she thought to herself, _what should I have expected?_ She noticed that Halcyon was distracted by that as well and she seized the opportunity to let loose with another Force push. The impact crumpled the control box on the front of his suit that regulated the life support system and the impact with the wall stunned the would-be Sith. Halcyon crumpled to the deck, desperately wheezing as Buffy ran to the _Falcon_. She was climbing on board when a blaster bolt nicked her artificial arm and she looked behind her - and gasped in amazement at seeing Mara rise unsteadily to her feet, a small assassins' blaster in her right hand. Hesitating only a fraction of a second, she fired. Buffy instinctively raised her artificial hand towards her face and intercepted the bolt that would have gone right between her eyes. The ramp then closed, blocking off any more shots and Buffy slapped the com panel on the wall with her good hand.

"We're all on board! Get us out of here, Han!" she yelled, then sighed in relief as the familiar hum of the engines resonated throughout the ship. Realistically she knew that they weren't out of danger yet, but at least they were finally going to escape the station.

But the question was- at what cost?

**TBC**

Next chapter - the escape, part 2; the arrival on Yavin IV, the Death Star plans revealed; Joyce meets a young Rebel pilot named Wedge and receives a gift from her mother. Comming next week!


	10. Chapter 9: Return to Yavin IV

**Episode 4 Chapter 9**

**Return to Yavin IV**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1.**

**A/N:** Great news! I am now starting to work on the Epilogue for this Episode, which means updates should be somehwat regular till the end. The bad news is that FanFiction DOT Net is acting up and I am no longer recieving **ANY **alerts from them, nor am I able to change my e-mail address. So while I urge you to continue to review, if you have any questions please send them to the Yahoo group. Also, I whall begin putting this story up both on my site and Twisting the Hellmouth.

Thanks as always to my betas Fallenstar2 and Winterd.

* * *

As the Millennium Falcon sped away from the Death Star, the passengers sat in the hold in a state of abject shock. Leia placed a blanket around her brother's shoulders and rubbed his back comfortingly as Buffy sat across from them, her head in her hands. Once again the man who had saved her had been taken away and now she wasn't even sure if Obi-Wan was all right. All she knew was that she couldn't go back until her family was safe at the Rebel base.

Joyce has gone directly to the cockpit as soon as they had all gotten on board, a fact that Buffy was glad of when she saw Han come through the hold towards the belly gun access tunnels. He paused for a moment, looking at Luke.

"Come on, kid. We ain't out of this yet." Luke stared back with a vacant expression and Leia stared at Han angrily.

"Give him a moment, for pity's sake! Can't you see how much Quinn meant to him?" she snarled. Han stared back impassively.

"Quinn and Ben gave their lives to get us out. You want that sacrifice to mean nothing?" Han asked. Joyce's voice sounded over the com. "Incoming sentry ships!" Han looked pointedly at Luke, who now stared resolutely back. The young farmer threw off the blanket and followed Han towards the guns as Buffy and Leia headed to the cockpit. Luke headed down the access hatch and crawled into the belly gun chair. He strapped himself in and activated the targeting computer. No sooner had the display come up than Leia's voice sounded in his headset.

"Here they come!"

Four Imperial TIE fighters flew by, two on each side of the ship and all firing their twin green lasers. Luke swung the turret around and fired back, the powerful quad lasers sending orange bolts back in return. The TIEs deftly maneuvered around the shots, using their smaller size and faster engines to their advantage.

"They're coming in too fast!" Luke cried, desperately swinging the turret around and letting loose another volley. The TIE spun out of the way and swung around again, letting loose another volley that struck the side of the ship. The Falcon rocked as several conduits exploded.

"We've lost lateral controls!" Leia announced. Han touched the side of his headset.

"Don't worry, she'll hold together!" He let loose the com button as the ship rocked again. "Hear me baby? Hold together!" he mumbled. He fired his quads again and they finally struck their mark as a TIE exploded. "Ha-ha!" he cried out in victory. Luke then managed to score a hit as the TIE he was following exploded into a huge fireball.

"I got it! I got it!" he cried.

"Great kid! Don't get cocky!" Han shouted back down the tunnel, even as Buffy's voice sounded through their headsets.

"There's still two more of them out there!" Even as she said that, one TIE flew down money lane - the point in front of the ship where not only did the four quads converge, but where the two forward lasers fired. Joyce took the opportunity and fired the forward lasers, slamming into the unshielded fighter and sending it up in a fireball. "Make that one left," Buffy said, not missing a beat.

In short order, Luke spun his turret around and held down the trigger, sending burst after burst at the TIE that was heading straight for them. In no time at all, the TIE exploded.

"We did it!" Luke cried out.

"We did it!" Leia echoed in the cockpit, giving Chewie a hug.

"Help! I think I'm melting! This is all your fault!" Threepio complained to Artoo as he lay among the smoldering wires. Artoo, for his parts, just chuckled in his mechanical tone.

* * *

Darth Vader strode into the control room where Governor Tarkin stood staring at a huge, brilliantly lit screen that showed the massive star field beyond. Behind him strode Halcyon and Mara, the latter whose face bore a fierce scowl.

_Bested by a farm boy! I can't believe it! _ She thought to herself. Her master, she knew, would not be pleased.

Tarkin barely glanced around as the trio entered.

"Are they away?" the Dark Lord demanded.

"They've just completed the jump to hyperspace. No doubt they are at this very moment congratulating themselves on their daring and success." Now Tarkin turned to face Vader, a hint of warning in his tone. "I'm taking an awful chance on your insistence, Vader. This had better work. Are you certain the homing beacon is secure aboard their ship?"

Vader exuded confidence beneath the reflective black mask. "There is nothing to fear. This will be a day long remembered. It already has end of Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi and soon it will see the end of the Alliance and the rebellion."

"If that is the case, then Mara and I will be taking our leave," Halcyon announced. "We will be sure to tell the Emperor of your success in eliminating the two Jedi, Lord Vader."

"While omitting your failure to eliminate Skywalker, no doubt," Vader responded snidely. Mara's eyes narrowed, but she bit her tongue and the two Hands turned and walked out of the control room. Vader smirked and turned back to Tarkin.

"What do you say we go destroy a rebellion?" he asked nonchalantly.

* * *

"What do you think, sweetheart? Not a bad bit of rescuing." Han gloated as he came into the cockpit. He dropped down into Chewie's chair - the Wookie was inspecting the damage - and gave a cocky grin to Leia who was sitting in his. Joyce sat in the rear seat by the navi-computer, her grin hidden behind her helmet as Han continued. "You know, sometimes I amaze even myself."

"That doesn't seem too hard," Leia quipped, leaning closer to Han. "They let us go. That's the only explanation for the ease of our escape."

"Easy? You call that easy?"

"Yes," Joyce remarked, not looking up from her console. "The station was as big as a moon, and they only send four small fighters? And, by the way - the station was as big as a moon? What the frak did I miss?"

"Oh, superlasers, storm troopers, kamikaze Jedi - the usual," Han replied nonchalantly, drawing a snort from his sister. "How about you?"

"Oh, I got to see where Mom's been. Nice place, by the way." She turned to Leia. "So, where are we headed?"

"Yavin IV," Leia replied. "Once we get there, we can have my people extract the information from Artoo."

"What's the little droid carrying that's so important?" Han asked, a little curious.

"The complete technical readouts from that battle station," the Senator replied. "I can only hope that, when the data is analyzed, a weakness can be found." She smiled wryly at the smuggler. "It's not over yet."

"It is for me, sister," Han said defiantly. "Look, I'm not in this for your revolution and I'm not in it for you. I expect to be well paid - I'm in it for the money!"

Leia harrumphed and rose from her seat. "Well, you needn't worry," she said. "If money is all you care about, then that's what you shall receive." She moved to the door - and ran into Luke, who was coming in. "Your friend's quite the mercenary. I wonder if he cares about anything…or any one."

"Well I care," Luke said as his sister moved past him out the door. He moved into the cockpit and took her vacated seat, throwing a glance at Joyce. He wanted to ask her about the 'cousin' remark she threw at him during their escape, but he held his tongue - there would be time later. Instead he turned to Han and looked at the smuggler shrewdly.

"So…what do you think of her, Han?"

"I'm trying not to," Han replied, checking the status on his board. Luke nodded.

"Good."

Joyce smiled behind her helmet. _Overprotective brothers, unite!_

Han looked over to Luke and assumed the farm boy was interested in the Senator. Smirking, he decided to wind him up a little. "Still…she's got spirit." He turned to Luke. "I don't know, you think a guy like me and a girl like that-"

"No," Luke said quickly and then turned away. He didn't notice Han's grin and neither heard Joyce's quiet laugh as she left the cockpit.

* * *

A few hours later the Millennium Falcon landed in the ancient Massassi temple that was serving as the base for the Rebellion. Leia was met by Commander Willard and several Rebel officers, who quickly led them and the droids away. Only Buffy hung back - a fact that Joyce noticed.

"What's up, Buffy?" she asked, leaning against the speeder that had brought them into the temple. Buffy smiled.

"Well, while the rest of the kids are off playing, I wanted to give you something."

Joyce stared at her mother through the visor of her helmet. "I thought Jedi didn't have personal possessions?"

Buffy smirked. "I've never been a conventional Jedi."

The two walked down the hallways of the ancient temple until they reached a series of abandoned corridors. They walked for nearly ten minutes before Joyce spoke up.

"Do you even know where you're going?"

"It was around here somewhere…ah, here it is." They stopped at the end of the hall in front of a sealed door. Buffy tapped several keys on an old control panel, and the door slid open - to reveal an empty room.

"Here you are!" Buffy said happily. Joyce took a look into the empty room and then looked back to her mother.

"Have you completely lost it?"

"Look closer," Buffy commented with a smirk. Joyce turned back to the room and switched on several filters in her visor - infrared, electromagnetic, sonic-

Nothing.

"Yeah…I got nothing."

Buffy's smirk got wider as she hit the small controller in her pocket and, for the first time in twenty years, the Prometheus shimmered into view.

"What the hell!" Joyce exclaimed, staring in shock at the old ARC fighter. She pulled off her helmet and stared at the ship with her own eyes, then turned her astonished gaze to her mother. "You must be joking. Where in the nine Corellian hells did you get a working cloaking device?"

"Your father designed it," Buffy said softly. "He helped put her together shortly before…well…" she trailed off for a moment and then cleared her throat. "She's old and not as fast as some of those new fighters I saw, but the cloak gives it a hell of an advantage. I also upgraded the shields and weapons package before I stored it here. And there're a lot of things you can do with this baby to get it up to speed." She smiled at her daughter. "Your father would have wanted you to have it. _I _want you to have it." Buffy exhaled as her daughter looked over every inch of the ship. "Anyway, I wanted to give this to you before I headed back again. The time is approaching, but I still have a lot of work to do…"

"Mommy!"

The raw emotion in that one word brought Buffy up short and she looked up at Joyce to see her daughter with an almost frightened and vulnerable expression on her face.

"Will…will I see you again?' she asked hesitantly. Buffy felt her eyes watering as she moved over to Joyce and pulled her into a fierce hug.

"Now that I know you're alive, I swear to you that I will see you as often as I possible can. More, even," Buffy said and, for the next few minutes, mother and daughter truly reunited.

* * *

Luke sat with the rest of the pilots in the main briefing room of the temple, waiting anxiously as General Dodonna took the stage and activated the view screen behind him. A schematic of the Death Star appeared on the screen and the room quieted down. As soon as it was silent, the General spoke.

"The Imperial battle station you now all have heard of is approaching from the far side of Yavin and its' sun. That gives us a little extra time, but it must be stopped—once and for all—before it can reach this moon, before it can bring its weaponry to bear on us as it did on Alderaan." A murmur ran through the crowd at the mention of that world, so callously obliterated.

"The station," Dodonna went on, "is heavily shielded and mounts more firepower than half the Imperial fleet. But its defenses were designed to fend off large-scale assaults. A small, one-or two-man fighter should be able to slip through its defensive screens."

A slim, supple man who resembled an older version of Han Solo rose. Dodonna acknowledged his presence. "What is it, Red Leader?"

The man gestured toward the display screen, which showed a computer portrait of the battle station. "Pardon me for asking, sir, but what good are our snub fighters going to be against that?"

Dodonna considered. "Well, the Empire doesn't think a one-man fighter is any threat to anything except another small ship, like a TIE fighter, or they would have provided tighter screens. Apparently they're convinced that their defensive weaponry can fend off any light attacks. But an analysis of the plans provided by Princess Leia has revealed what we think is a weakness in the station's design. A big ship couldn't get near it, but an X- or Y-wing fighter might." The schematic rotated until it showed a small opening on the surface of the station.

"It's a small thermal exhaust port. Its size belies its importance, as it appears to be an unshielded shaft that runs directly into the main reactor system powering the station. Since this serves as an emergency outlet for waste heat in the event of reactor over production, its usefulness would be eliminated by particle shielding. A direct hit would initiate a chain reaction that would destroy the station."

Mutterings of disbelief ran through the room. The more experienced the pilot, the greater his expressed disbelief.

"I didn't say your approach would be easy," Dodonna admonished them. He gestured at the screen. "You must maneuver straight in down this shaft, level off in the trench, and skim the surface to—this point. The target is only two meters across. It will take a precise hit at exactly ninety degrees to reach the reactor systematization. And only a direct hit will start the complete reaction. The target is ray-shielded, so you'll have to use proton torpedoes."

A few of the pilots laughed humorlessly. One of them was a teenaged fighter jockey seated next to Luke who bore the unlikely name of Wedge Antilles. Artoo Detoo was there also, seated next to another Artoo unit who emitted a long whistle of hopelessness.

"A two-meter target at maximum speed—with a torpedo, yet," Antilles snorted. "That's impossible even for the computer."

"But it's not impossible," protested Luke. "I used to bulls-eye womp-rats in my T-16 back home. They're not much bigger than two meters."

"Is that so?" the rakishly uniformed youth noted derisively. "Tell me, when you were going after your particular varmint, were there a thousand other, what did you call it, 'womp-rats' armed with power rifles firing up at you?" He shook his head sadly.

"With all that firepower on the station directed at us, this will take a little more than barnyard marksmanship, believe me."

"Remember," the General went on, "you must achieve a direct hit. Yellow squadron will cover for Red on the first run. Green will cover Blue on the second. Any questions?"

A muted buzz filled the room. One man stood, lean and handsome—too much so, it seemed, to be ready to throw away his life for something as abstract as freedom.

"What if both runs fail? What happens after that?"

Dodonna smiled tightly. "There won't be any after that." The man nodded slowly, understandingly, and sat down. "Anyone else?" Silence now, pregnant with expectation.

"Then man your ships and may the Force be with you."

* * *

As Luke walked back into the hanger towards his ship, he noticed Han and Chewie over by one of the armored landspeeders, loading several strongboxes into it. Luke looked over the pair sadly, a myriad of emotions playing over him. On one hand, he was the brave and courageous smuggler that had helped him and his friends, his family, off of Tatooine, who had helped to rescue his sister. On the other hand, he was cocky and arrogant and cared more about the money than the people behind it. It was all so very confusing.

"So, you got your reward, and your just leaving?" he asked the smuggler. Han looked back at him, his own emotions playing across his face before a mask of indifference settled across his features.

"Yeah, that's right," he replied, placing another box onto the transport. "I got a lot of old debts to pay off with this stuff." He eyed Luke for a moment. "Why don't you come with us? You're pretty good in a fight, I could use you."

"Come on!" Luke exclaimed, "Why don't you take a look around! You know what's about to happen, what they're up against! They could use a good pilot like you! You're turning your back on them!"

"What good is a reward if you ain't around to use it?" Han shot back. "Besides, attacking that station isn't my idea of courage. More like suicide."

Luke shook his head and sighed. "All right, well take care of yourself, Han. It's what your best at," he shot, before turning and walking away.

Han watched him go, then called out, "Hey Luke!" Luke turned around and Han offered him a small smile.

"May the Force be with you."

Luke nodded, then turned and walked away. Han went back to loading his reward, patently ignoring the looks that Chewie was giving him.

"What are you looking at?" Han asked. "I know what I'm doing."

* * *

Luke walked towards his fighter, deep in thought. So deep that he almost missed the figure that was leaning against the wing of his ship, admiring the lines of the sleek X-Wing.

"Not a bad ship," a familiar voice rang out, drawing Luke out of his thoughts. He stared in amazement as his father, clad in an orange flight suite, turned to face him.

"Father?"

Anakin smirked. "What? Did you think I'd let you have all of the fun?"

* * *

Joyce made her way back into the central hanger of the complex, looking for her brother. She couldn't wait to tell Han about the Prometheus - and she was also eager to take a look at that cloaking device to see if she could make one for the Falcon. She didn't fancy taking apart the Prometheus - even old, it was still in great shape; and having a fighter to cover the Falcon on her runs these days wasn't a bad idea. So deep was she in her thoughts, she didn't notice the pilot walking across the hanger until she ran right into him.

"Whoa!" Wedge cried as she slammed into him. He reached out and grabbed a hold of her arm to steady himself and was about to say something when he finally noticed the Mandalorian armor.

_Never make a Mandalorian angry._ His father had always told him and that was one lesson he intended to live by. He didn't fancy being beaten up before the most important mission of his young life.

Joyce, for her part, was mortified. A Mandalorian is never surprised - and yet she didn't even see him coming.

_And I'd notice someone that good looking._ She thought and then frowned. _I didn't just think that, did I?_ Out loud she merely took a step back and put her hand up slightly in a placating gesture.

"My apologies," she said, "I wasn't looking where I was going."

Wedge was surprised - Mandalorians didn't apologize as a rule. He tried to cover up his discomfort by flashing that old Corellian smile. "No problem. I wasn't watching where I was going, either."

"You flying today?" Joyce asked. Wedge nodded.

"Yeah. You?"

Joyce shrugged. "Might be. Depends on my idiot brother, really." She held out her hand. "Good luck up there."

Wedge grasped her hand and shook it. We winced slightly at her grip, though he tried to cover it up. Behind her helmet, Joyce smirked. Finally hey released hands and Wedge subtly shook his hand. "Well, I hope to see you around sometime."

"Same here," Joyce replied, turning and walking away from the young pilot. Wedge couldn't help but notice how – shapely - she was, a fact that Joyce wasn't oblivious to thanks to the 360 degree field of vision in her helmet.

"Eyes up, flyboy," she said, and smirked as she saw him blush.

* * *

Buffy arrived back in the hanger and let the Fore guide her towards her niece and nephew. Imagine her surprise when it also guided her to her brother.

"Anakin!" Buffy hissed, eyeing Anakin's flight suit. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm a fighter pilot, Buffy," he replied calmly. "I belong up there."

"Up there? You shouldn't even be here!"

"He knows you're alive, Buffy. And if you're alive, then I'll still be alive. It doesn't mater anymore..." Anakin looked over to his kids. "I haven't been here for my kids nearly enough. That stops today. I'm flying up there, I'm covering my son and nothing you say is going to stop me."

"He's right, Aunt Buffy," Leia said. "We need all of the pilots we can get."

"Please, Aunt Buffy," Luke added. Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I never could say no to the two of you when you ganged up on me. All right, fine! But I'm going to." She looked around. "Where are the flight suits?"

"I don't think they make them in Ewok size," Anakin said, earning a slap on the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Keep it up, smart ass. There's more where that came from."

Luke and Leia looked at each other and smiled. Maybe they would pull this off after all…

**TBC**

Next chapter - The attack on the Death Star. For the record, I'm setting up a romance between Wedge and Joyce - they will be married by Empire, though no one will know that. After this, it looks like only - three more chapters. The attack, the aftermath and the set up for Episode V - tentatively titled 'Trials of the Empire'.


	11. Chapter 10: Battle over Yavin IV

A/N: Two of the three trench runs are verbatim from the movie. The third is a little…embellished. Credit to George Lucas.

**Episode 4 Chapter 10**

**Battle over Yavin IV**

* * *

Leia walked into the command center of the base and joined General Dodonna and the rest of the command staff around the circular display that outlined the Death Star's approach to the small moon.

"Standby alert. Death Star approaching. Estimated time to firing range - fifteen minutes."

"And so it begins," she murmured to herself as she watched the small dots on the display move up from the moon and into space towards the station. "Be safe, all of you."

* * *

In space above Yavin IV, several squadrons of X and Y Wings fell into formation as then headed towards the massive space station that was slowly heading towards them. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Anakin couldn't help but smile.

"Just like old times, Buffy," he remarked over their private channel. "Reminds me of when me and Obi-Wan were flying in the battle over Coruscant, trying to get to General Grievous' ship to rescue the Chancellor."

"Well, I wouldn't know about that, since someone decided it would be a good idea to let me sleep through the whole damn thing," Buffy remarked dryly.

"Oh yeah…" Anakin replied. "You know, upon reflection…"

"You wish you hadn't succeeded?" Buffy finished knowingly. "Don't think about that now. Just concentrate on taking this damn thing out." Almost reluctantly she switched her com system over to the squadron's frequency, cutting off anymore private chats with her brother.

_"All wings, report in!"_ Red Leader called over the com.

_"Red Ten, standing by."_

_"Red Seven, standing by."_

_"Red Three, standing by."_

_"Red Six, standing by."_

_"Red Nine, standing by."_

"Red Two, standing by," Wedge called, powering up his weapons and checking his systems on more time.

_"Red Eleven, standing by."_

"Red Five, standing by," Luke called. Artoo chirped in agreement.

"Red Twelve, standing by," Anakin called in.

"Red Thirteen, standing by," Buffy announced as well, then grumbled to herself. "Thirteen… I had to get thirteen…"

_"Lock S-Foils in attack position," _Red Leader called. One by one the X-Wings split-design wings opened up into the position that gave the ships their name. Anakin moved the stick around a little, trying to get a feel for the ship.

"Oh, yeah. Much more responsive than the old Actis Interceptors," he remarked as his ship suddenly started to buck.

"We're passing through the magnetic field," Red Six called. "Hold tight!"

"Switch deflector to double front," Red Leader called. The pilots complied as the station grew larger and larger, finally blotting out all of the surrounding space.

"Look at the size of that thing!" Wedge exclaimed.

"Cut the chatter, Red Two," Red Leader reprimanded. "Accelerate to attack speed."

"This is it!"

As one - Red, Green and Gold groups all moved in.

* * *

On board the station alarms blared and crew members ran to their stations. One by one the massive turbolaser batteries were manned and powered up and immediately began firing at the small attackers. Admiral Motti was surprised - he had expected the Rebels to stage a large-scale defense around the moon, not send in snub fighters. Soon the true extent of the tactical blunder was made apparent as the fighters began to inflict some, if minor, damage on the stations hull.

"I want all batteries manned and firing," he instructed his subordinate. "They can't dodge the fire if space is filled with it."

* * *

"This is Red Five, I'm going in!" Luke called out, putting his fighter into a steep dive to try to confuse any electronic tracking.

"I'm right behind you," a voice sounded in his ear. Luke recognized it as his old friend Biggs.

Luke dove down to the deck and leveled off, weaving in and out of incoming fire instinctively. He took aim at the offending turbolaser tower and opened fire with all four of his cannons, blasting it to atoms. Almost too late he realized he was to close to the exploding tower and pulled up and his tiny craft was shaken by the explosion.

"Luke, are you alright?" Wedge called out to him.

"I'm fine, just got a little toasted, that's all," Luke responded.

In higher orbit, Anakin followed his son with the Force. _Just relax, Luke, _he sent out. _Don't over-fly it._

* * *

Inside, troopers, mechanicals and equipment were blown in all directions by subsidiary explosions as the effects of the blast traveled back down various conduits and cables. Where the explosion had hulled the station, escaping atmosphere sucked helpless soldiers and droids out into a bottomless black tomb.

Moving from position to position, a figure of dark calm amid the chaos, was Darth Vader. A harried Commander rushed up to him and reported breathlessly.

"Lord Vader, we count at least thirty of them, of two types. They are so small and quick the fixed guns cannot follow them accurately. They continuously evade the predictors."

"Get all TIE crews to their fighters. We'll have to go out after them and destroy them ship by ship," Vader replied.

* * *

Down in the command center, Leia could only watch helplessly as the Rebels attacked the Imperial monstrosity.

"Heavy fire, boss! Twenty-three degrees!"

"I see it! Stay low."

"There's a lot of fire coming from the right side of that deflection tower!"

Leia closed her eyes and sighed, praying to whatever deity would listen for the safe return of her family.

Luke was flying like a wombat out of hell. The last few minutes had seen two of his fellow squad mates taken down and he had been hard pressed not to join them.

_"Squad leaders. We've picked up a new set of signals from the other side of the station. Enemy fighters coming your way."_

Luke looked around in confusion. "I don't see anything!"

"Pick up your visual scanning...here they come!"

Several squads of TIE fighters boiled out of the Death Star's hangars and headed straight for the groups of Rebels. One immediately attached itself to Biggs.

"Watch it, you've got one on your tail!" Luke cried out, pushing his ship to the limits to reach his friend in time.

"Where! I don't see it!" Biggs yelled in return, frantically looking around through his canopy. Green flashes suddenly streaked past his viewport and he started to frantically juke and jive. "I can't shake him!"

Luke came up behind the TIE and opened fire. The lasers ripped through the TIE's unshielded body and blew it to pieces.

"Thanks, Luke!" Biggs said and then got back to the business of downing fighters.

"I've got one! I've got one!" came a less restrained cry of triumph over the open intercom. Luke identified the voice as belonging to a young pilot known as John D. Yes, that was Red Six chasing another Imperial fighter across the metal landscape. Bolts jumped from the X-wing in steady succession until the TIE fighter blew in half, sending leaf-like glittering metal fragments flying in all directions.

"Good shooting, Red Six," the squadron leader commented. Then he added quickly, "Watch out, you've got one on your tail."

Within the fighter's cockpit the gleeful smile on the young man's face vanished instantly as he looked around, unable to spot his pursuer. Something flared brightly nearby, so close that his starboard port burst. Then something hit even closer and the interior of the now open cockpit became a mass of flames.

"I'm hit, I'm hit!"

That was all he had time to scream before oblivion took him from behind. Far above and to one side Red Leader saw John D's ship expand in a fiery ball. His lips may have whitened slightly. Otherwise he might as well never have seen the X-wing explode, for all the reaction he displayed. He had more important things to do.

* * *

"Flying is for droids!" Buffy announced as she put her X-Wing into a spiral to escape the fire from the pursuing TIE. She deftly flipped her craft around 180 degrees and opened fire, destroying the pursuing craft. As soon as it exploded, Buffy flipped the craft around again and hit the afterburners, rocketing her ship onward.

"You complain as much as Obi-Wan does!" Anakin taunted, downing another fighter. Buffy sighed wistfully.

"I hope he's all right."

"He is. We would have felt it if he had died, dimensional barrier or not."

"Right," Buffy replied and then went back to the task of eliminating TIEs. The time to worry would come later.

* * *

"Tighten it up, Red Two, tighten it up," Red Leader was saying. "Watch those towers."

"Heavy fire, boss," came the voice of Wedge Antilles, "twenty-three degrees."

"I see it. Pull in, pull in. We're picking up some interference."

"I can't believe it," Biggs was stammering. "I've never seen such firepower!"

"Pull in, Red Five. Pull in." A pause, then, "Luke, do you read me? Luke?"

"I'm all right, Chief," came Luke's reply. "I've got a target. I'm going to check it out."

"There's too much action down there, Luke," Biggs told him. "Get out. Do you read me, Luke? Pull out."

"Break off, Luke," ordered the deeper tones of Red Leader. "We've hit too much interference here. Luke, I repeat, break off! I can't see him. Red Two, can you see Red Five?"

"Negative," Wedge replied quickly. "There's a fire zone here you wouldn't believe. My scanner's jammed. Red Five, where are you? Luke, are you all right?"

"He's gone," Biggs started to report solemnly. Then his voice rose. "No, wait... there he is! Looks like a little fin damage, but the kid's fine."

Further above them, Anakin's relief was a palpable thing as he saw Luke's slightly battered X-Wing pull up out of the fire storm and in the control room on the moon, Leia leaned against the display in relief. Buffy attempted to hide her own relief behind her sarcasm.

"As reckless and irresponsible as his father…" she muttered.

On the battle station, troopers worn half to death or deafened by the concussion of the big guns were replaced by fresh crews. None of them had time to wonder how the battle was going and at the moment none of them much cared, a malady shared by common soldiers since the dawn of history.

Luke skimmed daringly low over the station's surface, his attention riveted on a distant metal projection.

"Stick close, Red Five," the squadron commander directed him. "Where are you going?"

"I've picked up what looks like a lateral stabilizer," Luke replied. "I'm going to try for it."

"Watch yourself, Red Five. Heavy fire in your area."

Luke ignored the warning as he headed the fighter straight toward the oddly shaped protuberance. His determination was rewarded when, after saturating it with fire, he saw it erupt in a spectacular ball of super hot gas.

"Got it!" he exclaimed. "Continuing south for another one."

* * *

Within the rebel temple-fortress, Leia listened intently. She seemed simultaneously angry and frightened. Finally she turned to Threepio and muttered, "Why is Luke taking so many chances?" The tall droid didn't reply.

_"Watch your back, Luke," _Biggs's voice sounded over the speakers, _"watch your back! Fighters above you, coming in."_

Leia strained to see what she could only hear. She wasn't alone. "Help him, Artoo," Threepio was whispering to himself, "and keep holding on."

* * *

Luke continued his dive even as he looked back and spotted the object of Biggs's concern close on his tail. Reluctantly he pulled up and away from the station surface, abandoning his target. His tormentor was good, however, and continued closing on him.

"I can't shake him," he reported.

"Hang on Luke, I'm coming!" Biggs sounded off.

"I'm coming, Red Five," Anakin called, putting his fighter into a steep dive and pushing his engines to the fullest. Luke, meanwhile, was continuing to try to shake his opponent - and failing.

"Blast it Biggs, where are you?" he muttered to himself, looking around. He looked forward in time to see a familiar X-Wing flying straight at him. Instinctively he pushed down on the stick as the X-Wing opened fire and then flew through the exploding ball of superheated gas that had been a TIE fighter.

"Thanks, Wedge," Luke said gratefully.

"Good shooting, Wedge," Biggs called out.

"Good shot, Wedge," Anakin said, pulling out of his dive and picking another target, doing his best to push the fear out of his mind.

* * *

On the station, Vader stopped two pilots as they headed for their ships.

"Several fighters have broken off from the main group. Come with me!"

* * *

"Red Leader, this is Blue Leader," he announced into his mike. "We're starting our attack run. The exhaust port is located and marked. No flak, no enemy fighters up here—yet. Looks like we'll get at least one smooth run at it."

"I copy, Blue Leader," the voice of his counterpart responded. "We'll try to keep them busy down here."

Three Y-wing fighters dropped out of the stars, diving toward the battle-station surface. At the last possible minute they swerved to dip into a deep artificial canyon, one of many streaking the northern pole of the Death Star. Metal ramparts raced past on three sides of them.

Blue Leader hunted around, noticed the temporary absence of Imperial fighters. He adjusted a control and addressed his squadron.

"This is it, boys. Remember, when you think you're close, go in closer before you drop that rock. Switch all power to front deflector screens—never mind what they throw at you from the side. We can't worry about that now."

Imperial crews lining the trench rudely awoke to the fact that their heretofore ignored section of the station was coming under attack. They reacted speedily and soon energy bolts were racing at the attacking ships in a steadily increasing volume. Occasionally one would explode near one of the onrushing Y-wings, jostling it without real damage.

"A little aggressive, aren't they?" Blue Two reported over his mike.

Blue Leader reacted quietly. "How many guns do you think, Blue Five?"

Blue Five, known casually to most of the rebel pilots as Pops, somehow managed to make an estimate of the trench's defenses while simultaneously piloting his fighter through the growing hail of fire. His helmet was battered almost to the point of uselessness from the effects of more battles than anyone had a right to survive.

"I'd say about twenty emplacements," he finally decided, "some in the surface and some on the towers."

Blue Leader acknowledged the information with a grunt as he pulled his computer-targeting visor down in front of his face. Explosions continued to rock the fighter. "Switch to targeting computers," he declared.

"Blue Two," came one reply, "computer locked in and I'm getting a signal." The young pilot's rising excitement marked his reply.

But the senior pilot among all the rebels, Blue Five, was expectantly cool and confident—though it didn't sound like it from what he murmured half to himself: "No doubt about it, this is going to be some trick."

Unexpectedly, all defensive fire from the surrounding emplacements ceased. An eerie quiet clung to the trench as the surface continued to blur past the skimming Y-wings.

Blue Two looked around worriedly. "They stopped. Why?"

"I don't like it," growled Blue Leader. But there was nothing to confuse their approach now, no energy bolts to avoid.

It was Pops who was first to properly evaluate this seeming aberration on the enemy's part. "Stabilize your rear deflectors now. Watch for enemy fighters."

"You pinned it, Pops," Blue Leader admitted, studying a readout. "Here they come. Three marks at two-ten."

A mechanical voice continued to recite the shrinking distance to their target, but it wasn't shrinking fast enough. "We're sitting ducks down here," he observed nervously.

"We'll just have to ride it out," the old man told them all. "We can't defend ourselves and go for the target at the same time." He fought down old reflexes as his own screen revealed three TIE fighters in precision formation diving almost vertically down toward them.

"Three-eight-one-oh-four," Darth Vader announced as he calmly adjusted his controls. The stars whipped past behind him. "I'll take them myself. Cover me."

Blue Two was the first to die, the young pilot never knowing what hit him, never seeing his executioner. Despite his experience, Blue Leader was on the verge of panic when he saw his wingman dissolve in flame.

"We're trapped down here. No way to maneuver—trench walls are too close. We've got to loosen it up somehow. Got—"

"Stay on target," admonished an older voice. "Stay on target."

Blue Leader took Pops's words like tonic, but it was all he could do to ignore the closing TIE fighters as the two remaining Y-wings continued to streak toward the target.

Above them, Vader permitted himself a moment of undisciplined pleasure as he readjusted his targeting computer. The rebel craft continued to travel a straight, invasive course. Again Vader touched finger to fire control.

Something screeched in Blue Leader's helmet, and fire started to consume his instrumentation. "It's no good," he yelled into his pickup, "I'm hit. I'm hit...!"

A second Y-wing exploded in a ball of vaporized metal, scattering a few solid shards of debris across the trench. This second loss proved too much even for Blue Five to take. He manipulated controls and his ship commenced rising in a slow curve out of the trench. Behind him, the lead Imperial fighter moved to follow.

"Blue Five to Red Leader," he reported. "Aborting run under heavy fire. TIE fighters dropped on us out of nowhere. I can't—wait—"

Astern, a silent, remorseless enemy was touching a deadly button once more. The first bolts struck just as Pops had risen high enough to commence evasive action. But he had pulled clear a few seconds too late.

One energy beam seared his port engine, igniting gas within. The engine blew apart, taking controls and stabilizing elements with it. Unable to compensate, the out-of-control Y-wing began a long, graceful plunge toward the station surface.

"Are you all right, Blue Five?" a troubled voice called over the intership system.

"Lost Tiree... lost Dutch," Pops explained slowly, tiredly. "They came from behind—"

* * *

On the Death Star, a young officer approached Tarkin in the main control room.

"We've analyzed their attack Sir and there is a danger. Should we have your shuttle standing by?"

Tarkin looked at the officer reproachfully. "Evacuate? In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances."

And a voice in the background announced, "Rebel base will be in range in five minutes."

* * *

Anakin watched helplessly as Red Leader and his two wingmen flew through the trench, relentlessly pursued by the three TIE fighters. Finally it became too much.

"I'm going to help them," Anakin announced, moving to follow the TIEs.

"No!" Buffy responded. "No, Anakin. They are doing their job, so that we can do ours."

"It's Vader down there, Buffy! They don't stand a chance!"

"And neither do we if we go in too early!" Buffy retorted sharply. "Just trust me, brother!" She looked down as Red Leader was destroyed and Luke, Biggs and Wedge took up position for their run. "It's almost time."

* * *

In the rebel base, all Dodonna and Leia could do was watch as the Death Star inched closer and closer to firing range.

"Death Star will be in range in one minute," a voice announced. Leia looked up at the elderly general, who stared back resignedly.

"Oh dear," Threepio moaned.

* * *

"Biggs, Wedge, let's close it up!" Luke called out. "We're going in full-throttle. That should keep those fighters off of us!"

"Right with you, Boss," Wedge responded

"Luke, at that speed, will you be able to pull out in time?" Biggs asked.

"It'll be just like Beggar's Canyon back home."

The three X-wings blasted through the trench, flying at speeds so fast that there was no way the defense towers could track them. That didn't stop them from trying to shoot them, however.

"Watch yourself! Increase to full throttle," Luke ordered.

"What about that tower?" Wedge asked.

"You worry about those fighters. I'll worry about the tower!" Luke retorted, weaving as much as he could in the tight confines of the trench. He noticed a distinct wobble in his craft. "Artoo,' he called out, "that stabilizer's broken loose again. See if you can't lock it down."

The towers suddenly fell silent and Biggs started looking around. Sure enough, he spotted the three TIE's moving into position behind them.

"Fighters coming in, point three."

Vader calmly target the first fighter and opened fire. His blasts managed to damage one of the starboard engines, as well as the stabilizers.

"I'm hit!" Wedge announced. "I can't stay with you!"

"Get clear Wedge, you can't do anymore good back there!" Luke called back.

"Sorry!" Wedge replied, pulling up sharply and exiting the trench.

Vader watched the pilot go impassively. Plenty of time to kill him later, he mused. "Let him go! Stay on the leader," he told his wingmen.

Biggs looked at his display worriedly. "Hurry Luke! They're coming in much faster this time," he said, increasing power to his rear deflectors.

Luke ground his teeth in frustration. "Artoo, try and increase the power!"

"Hurry up Luke! Wait—" In a flash, Vader's powerful lasers tore through Biggs' shields and his X-wing vaporized into a ball of glowing plasma. Luke shut his eyes tightly and allowed himself a moment of grief for his old childhood friend, then pushed the feelings aside and continued on.

* * *

In the control room on the Rebel base, Leia looked at the board in dread. Only Luke's fighter remained and he was still being pursued by the three TIEs.

"Death Star will be in range in thirty seconds," a technician announced. Leia took a breath.

_Hurry, Luke…_

"All right, Anakin. Time to play," Buffy announced. "When we get closer, Vader's going to sense us coming. So the only thing we can do is shoot in right in front and drift back sharply, allowing them to slam into our ships."

Anakin blinked. "That's got to be the dumbest plan I've ever heard of. I thought you got past the whole suicidal, flying into ships phase!"

"You wearing your PPG?"

Anakin's frown turned into a fierce grin. "As a matter of fact, I am."

"Then as soon as we fly in front of them, turn it on. Let momentum take care of the rest."

"Copy that, lucky Thirteen," Anakin said, adjusting his course. "Let's go rack up another Sith Lord."

* * *

Wedge's day was going from bad to worse. He was flying on three engines and only his port stabilizers and as a result he couldn't keep his ship lying in a straight line. It also made it difficult to out run and out maneuver the TIE fighter that was on his tail. A sinking feeling was beginning to settle in his gut— that, like so many of his friend here today, he wouldn't make it back alive. Absurdly, he wished he had seen that Mandalorian's face or at least learned her name before he took off…

He was pulled out of his musing as, against all possible odds, an old ARC-170 appeared in front of him out of nowhere, simply shimmering into existence right before it opened fire with its two main guns. The oversized canons pounded at the TIE behind him, almost instantly vaporizing it and the ARC flew through the debris.

"Looks like you broke your ship, flyboy!" a somewhat familiar voice sounded in his headset. After a moment he recognized it as the Mandalorian's voice.

"You know, we keep running into each other," Wedge replied. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you…"

"You know, it's a Mandalorian tradition that if a Mandalorian saves your life, the person that was saved has to take the saver out to dinner."

"Well, I'm not one to go against traditions… though does this mean you'll actually take the helmet off?"

"If you're lucky," she teased. "It's hard to eat with the helmet on; but not impossible." The ARC pulled alongside Wedge's X-wing. "Follow me back; I'll cover you."

"Copy that," Wedge paused. "If I'm going to take you out to dinner, can I at least learn your name?"

"The name's Joyce," she replied. "Joyce Solo"

* * *

Luke was pushing his X-wing to the limits, but it still wasn't fast enough. He looked through his targeting scope at the exhaust port.

"Still too far," he mumbled.

_Use the Force, Luke!_

Luke blinked. That was Quinn's voice. He thought to himself. How—

_Let go, Luke._

Vader frowned as he adjusted his targeting scope. "The Force is strong with this one."

_Luke, trust me_, Quinn's voice sounded. Trusting his feelings, Luke reached over and switched off his targeting computer.

Anakin smiled. He had heard Qui-Gon's voice through the Force as clearly as Luke had and he was proud that his son was picking it up so well.

"He's going to make a hell of a Jedi," Anakin stated.

"Not if we don't get those fighters off his tail," Buffy countered. "Punch it, Ani!"

The two Jedi flew in tandem, pushing their craft down at an 80 degree angle. Anakin sent out a brief reassurance to his son, letting him know that they would be all right.

Vader sensed this and looked up and saw the two X-wings closing in on him. The Force called out to him - he knew who was in those fighters.

"Skywalker!"

Vader hit his reverse thrusters, sending his ship speeding backwards while his two wingmen shot forward.

Anakin saw what was happening and cursed, but there was nothing to do now but hope that debris would damage or destroy Vader's ship. Luke's X-wing shot past just as Anakin's and Buffy's flew in behind it and the two Jedi immediately hit their reverse thrusters and yanked up hard on the yolk, then both hit their PPG activators. A flash of light was all that was seen in the cockpits as the nose of the two crafts banked sharply and then back as the craft tumbled backwards out of control. With no room to maneuver, the two pursuing TIEs plowed right into them and the resulting explosion rocked the station.

Vader managed to pull up enough so that he flew through the upper part of the resulting fireball, but several pieces of debris did manage to strike his modified TIE. None of the damage was serious though, so he immediately took up pursuit once more. He aimed on the fly and opened fire and one of his shots struck a glancing blow against Luke's X-wing, slamming into Artoo.

* * *

In the Rebel base, Leia and the rest were still trying to figure out why Luke switched off his targeting computer when she saw the two X-wings flown by her father and Aunt crash wildly into two of the pursuing TIEs.

"No!" she cried out, though it was more of an instinctual reaction. Somehow, she just knew that neither of the two Jedi were dead. Her confusion soon turned to dread as the third TIE rejoined the pursuit and opened fire.

"I've just lost Artoo!" Luke exclaimed over the com, even as the voice in the background called out.

"The Death Star has cleared the planet! The Death Star has cleared the Planet!"

* * *

Tarkin stoop impassively on the bridge of the battle station as the display finally cleared.

"Rebel base in range," a technician announced.

"Very well. You may fire when ready," he replied.

* * *

The X-wing was at its top speed, but the damage it had sustained was slowing it down enough that Vader's TIE was able to catch up. He smiled evilly as his targeting computer finally locked on to the Rebel ship.

"I have you now…" he said— and then his ship was rocked viciously. "What!" he exclaimed, looking around. Much to his astonishment, coming out of the sun's glare above him was the battered old Corellian YT-1300 that he had let escape from this very station.

"Yahoo!" Han exclaimed, letting loose with another barrage from the lower quads. The blasts punched through the TIE's shields and took out its port engine, causing the ship to veer wildly out of the trench and away from the battle.

"You're all clear, kid!" Han shouted over his mic. "Now let's blow this thing and go home!"

Luke was nearly at the target shaft. Letting his instincts guide him, he released two of his proton torpedoes and yanked up hard on his stick, managing to pull out just as the torpedoes flew straight down the shaft. Luke's fighter joined the Millennium Falcon and the surviving Rebel pilots as they sped away from the doomed station. A moment later their cockpits automatically dimmed as the flash from the explosion lit up the surrounding space like a second sun, even as their shields were buffeted from the energy of the explosion. Finally Luke leaned back in his seat and sighed in relief.

"Great shot kid! That was one in a million!" Han called out over the com. Luke smiled as another voice joined the congratulations - a voice not being broadcasted through the normal means.

_Remember, the Force will be with you. Always._

**TBC**

* * *

Next chapter— The ceremony, with a few surprise guests. And in two chapters, Joyce learn who killed her father, Vader reports to the Emperor, Buffy and Willow lament on getting old and Willow and Padmé finally talk.


	12. Chapter 11: Victory

**A/N: As always, special thanks to my beta Winterd and my editor Fallenstar2 (because really, that's what she's doing). Look for the final chapter of Winterd's 'Phantoms and Slayers', the inspiration for this story, over at TTH; then review and tell her to hurry on the sequel. And a special thanks to Fallenstar2, who helped me bring my computer back from the brink after I installed Internet Explorer 7.**

**You know what I'm talking about, if you've tried to install it.**

**And lastly, this story, along with Episode 3 and 1, have been nominated for the Crossing Over Awards over at TTH. So if you have an account, go and vote!**

* * *

**Episode 4 Chapter 11**

**Victory**

Luke landed his battered X-wing in the large hanger of the Rebel base, now sadly empty of ships, though filled to the brim with jubilant Rebels. The young pilot climbed out of his fighter amidst cheers and well-wishes from all of those around them. Eagerly he searched the room, looking for the one person that truly mattered…

"LUKE!"

His sister flung herself into his open arms and the two siblings shared a warm hug. "I'm so glad you made it back," she whispered, desperately fighting back tears. "Did father—"

"He's alive. They're both alive. I can feel it," he whispered back Leia stepped back and held her brother by his shoulders.

"You little space monkey," she said softly, using their Aunt's nickname for him. Luke couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hey!"

The two turned and eagerly greeted the newly-arrived Han Solo and Chewbacca. Luke grabbed the smuggler in a manly hug.

"I knew you'd come back! I just knew it!"

"Well, I wasn't going to let you get all the credit and take all the reward!" Han shot back warmly.

"I knew there was more to you than money!" Leia added, giving Han a hug as well. The three were about to carry on when Artoo was pulled out of the ship's socket and lowered to the ground. The little Astromech was a mess — one of Vader's glancing blows had impacted him right on the side of his body where the head joined the main torso and wires and various lubrication fluids dripped down the side of his blackened body.

"Oh, no! Artoo!" Threepio cried. He turned to the nearest technician and in a pleading voice begged, "You must repair him! Sir, if any of my spare parts will help, I'll gladly donate them!"

"He'll be alright," Luke assured Threepio, leaving the droids in the care of the techs as he, his sister and his friends made their way out of the hanger.

* * *

Wedge looked up at his battered ship and sighed. It was reparable, but she'd be grounded for weeks before she'd be fully operational. And he doubted that the Rebellion would have that much time, especially since they just destroyed the Emperor's new toy.

"If you're worried about how we'll get to dinner, don't worry. I'll drive."

Wedge turned and saw the masked Mandalorian in her red and silver armor standing behind him. Then much to his surprise, she lifted the helmet off — and revealed the beautiful young woman behind it. Her blue eyes twinkled with mirth at his expression.

"See anything you like?" she asked teasingly, catching him off guard. _She was so…normal,_ he supposed. He had expected an old battle-axe, worn down and hard from years of the Mandalorian life, not this beautiful young woman that stood before him. Joyce's grin widened. "Face it, tiger. You just hit the jackpot."

Wedge couldn't help but return the grin. "I guess I have." He paused for a moment, considering. "Do you like Corellian food?"

"As long as you're a better cook than my brother, then yes," she replied. "I do."

* * *

**EARTH**

* * *

"I'm sure they're alright, Padmé. They have survived this long, after all."

Padmé and Giles were walking through the deserted halls of the Council, the elder Watcher trying to reassure the former Senator of their loved ones well-being.

"Even before she disappeared, Buffy was always getting herself and her friends into trouble. But she always got them out and in one piece. Just you wait— any minute now they'll come flying back—"

Suddenly the wall in front of them exploded outwards as two figures were hurtled through it. They both slammed into the opposite wall and crumpled to the floor, both gasping and moaning. As the dust settled, Giles could finally make out the prone forms of Anakin and Buffy.

"Or, they'll come in for a hard landing…" he amended, moving to his Slayer's side even as Padmé kneeled beside Anakin.

"Ani? Oh Force, are you alright?"

Anakin looked up at his wife, a small trickle of blood running down his forehead from his hairline.

"I'm wonderful," he deadpanned. "Thanks to my sister's brilliant plan." He coughed for a few moments before muttering, "Let's ram them. Brilliant plan…"

"It worked," Buffy said defensively. "I've ported back dozens of times from moving ships. This has never happened!"

"Big ships like the Falcon have inertial compensators dialed all the way up so passengers can't feel anything," Anakin explained. "Fighters usually have them dialed down somewhat, so the pilot can feel what they are doing. That momentum must have carried over…"

Buffy stared incredulously at her brother. "You tell me this NOW?"

Anakin stared back. "Silly me. I thought you already knew and planned accordingly!"

"Now, now, children behave," Giles commanded. "Both of you are going to the infirmary right now and we both would like an explanation as we go."

"Fine," Anakin agreed, wincing as he stood up. "But I want to get back as soon as possible to reassure Luke and Leia that we're all right."

Buffy, helped along by Giles, entered the infirmary after her brother and saw a sight that at once relieved and terrified her—

Obi-Wan, alive but pale, sitting up on a hospital bed, a discarded magazine in his lap and his eyes were locked on hers.

"Oh," Buffy sighed and pulled away from her watcher. "I'll be just a minute," she whispered to him. He nodded and stepped over to Dr. Soren's side as Buffy slowly made her way to Obi-Wan's bed. "Hello, there."

Obi-Wan looked her over critically. "Well, apparently I wasn't the only one having fun today." He gently took her hand that hung limply at her side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Buffy lied, torn between pulling her hand away or else returning the squeeze. She settled for just leaving it where it was. "Look, about what happened before we left…"

"Yes, that…" Obi-Wan blushed. "I apologize if I embarrassed you—"

"It wasn't that!" Buffy quickly assured him. "It's just…" she struggled to find the right words. "I haven't loved anybody since Jacen. I haven't allowed myself to _feel_ for anyone since Jacen. And I certainly haven't _kissed _anyone since Jacen. I just don't know if I'm ready…"

"Believe it or not, Buffy, I know what you are going through," Obi-Wan interrupted firmly. " I, too have had a hard time getting close to anybody since the death of Siri…" he trailed off at the memory of his first love, the girl and fellow Jedi he had not been willing to risk everything for - and only realized too late what a terrible choice that had been. "You were lucky, Buffy. You had over a year with Jacen, a year to be with him, to love him. All I had with Siri was a few stolen moments when we were Padawans and a bunch of unresolved feelings that never truly got any closure by the time she was killed." He looked into her eyes, bright with unshed tears. "I don't want to make the same mistakes again."

"No, you want to make all new ones," she quipped, pulling her hand free to wipe the tears away. She looked down at him and gave him a small smile. "This won't be easy."

"Nothing worthwhile ever is," he replied. "But I'm willing to try if you are."

The stood there for a few minutes, each thinking their own thoughts, before finally Buffy replaced her hand in Obi-Wan's and squeezed it.

* * *

"You know," Han solo mused as he adjusted his utility vest for the umpteenth time, "if you had told me a week ago that I'd be getting a medal from the Alliance, I'd have called you a liar. Or shot you. Whichever came first."

"Please - you would have called them a liar," Joyce rebuked, her smirk visible for all to see as she carried her helmet under one arm. "Everybody knows you never shoot first."

"Hey!"

Chewie let out a guffaw of laughter and Luke couldn't help but join along. The four of them were standing outside of the grand old throne room of the temple, awaiting the door to open so that they may be given the Award of Merit, the highest award possible from the Alliance - and once the highest award given by the Old Republic.

"The damn things were always to big and clunky for my taste," a familiar voice said from the shadows. "But hey, you earned it."

Luke smiled as his father stepped out of the shadows. He looked a bit bruised and banged up, but he was alive and that was all that mattered.

"What happened?" he asked as he rushed over to give his father a hug. Anakin did his best to hide his wince.

"A slight miscalculation on your Aunt's part. One that I won't be letting her live down for quite some time." He stepped back and held his son at arm's length, getting a good look at him. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay and let you know that we were fine." He smiled. "I also wanted to let you know that you'll be seeing a lot more of us. And by us, I mean your mother, too."

"Is it safe enough?" Luke asked worriedly. Anakin chuckled.

"No, but there's no use hiding anymore. By now, the Emperor has already learned that Buffy is still alive and the new Vader probably sensed my presence during the battle. Besides," he added, looking past his son to the Solo clan who still stood together, joking and laughing, "Buffy wants to see more of her daughter."

Luke looked back at Joyce and suddenly it clicked. "That's why she called me cousin! We're related!" A sudden realization hit him. "Does that mean that Han—"

"No," Anakin said. "Buffy would have been his stepmother, but she never got to marry his father. Joyce is the only one you're related to." He looked at his son. "Why?"

"I think Han's got a thing for Leia," he said, almost reluctantly. "If we were related, I didn't want them to end up…doing anything, you know? It'd be like kissing your brother… kind of gross, you know? Father?" Luke asked him, but Anakin was suddenly very interested in examining Han like a bug. "Father? Are you in there?" Luke asked, waving a hand in front of Anakin's face. The Jedi started and then smiled.

"I'm here. But I think it's time for you to go," Anakin hugged his son once more. "May the Force be with you. And with Leia as well." Luke stepped back and gave his father a smile before moving to join his friends. Anakin smiled and activated the PPG, whisking him back to Earth.

Luke stepped up next to Han and looked at the smuggler briefly before looking through the now open doors. The throne room was filed to capacity with Rebel troops, all standing in formation in their dress uniforms. At the far end was Leia and General Dodonna with several other important Alliance leaders; a newly-polished See-Threepio stood next to the repaired Artoo-Deetoo off to the side. Luke looked back to Han once more, who was clearly looking at Leia.

"That's my sister you're ogling," Luke remarked. Han looked sharply to the young pilot.

"Your sister, huh?" he repeated. Luke nodded earnestly. Han's thoughtful look dissolved into a grin.

"Good," he said, in a tone that clearly meant _less competition for me._

Luke shook his head and glanced to Joyce, her brown hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. "Let's go get awarded, shall we Cuz?"

Joyce smiled back. "Let's," she replied and the four strode down the aisle, walking tall. The Empire might be there tomorrow, but today they were kings and nobody could ruin their moment.

**Fin.**

* * *

To be continued in **Star Wars Episode V: Trials of the Empire**

There will be one last chapter for an epilogue where I will set up several important arcs for the next Episode. I'll get that out as soon as I can.


	13. Epilogue

**Episode 4 Epilogue**

**Fallout**

* * *

"Skywalker, you say?"

"Yes, my Master. It was undoubtedly him. And the girl."

Darth Vader kneeled in the throne room of the Emperor's palace on Imperial City, the planet formerly known as Coruscant. Much had changed since the Jedi had been forced into exile on this planet - the Temple was ruined and deserted (Palpatine's plans to turn it into a Sith museum thwarted with the theft of all of the artifacts a year ago); the Senate dome now stood abandoned while 500 Republica, once the main residence of all of the senators on the city planet, had been torn down to make way for the Emperor's new palace. It was here that the Emperor now spent most of his time overseeing his galaxy and it was here that his trusted agents reported to him.

"Lord Halcyon had already reported to me that the thrice-accursed sister still lived. Are you sure you felt the brother as well?"

"Yes, my Master," Vader replied. "I remember him from my days at the Temple; his Force signature was unique. I have no doubt that he still lives."

"If he still lives," the Emperor surmised, "then perhaps his wife did as well. And if she was alive, their children would be alive. But why haven't I sensed them? Any of them?"

"Before I slew Jinn, I struck down Kenobi," Vader replied. "As he lay there, Jinn activated some device on his belt hat whisked him away through some kind of energy vortex."

"Yes….there were reports of something similar when the Jedi that robbed my Temple escaped from Mara Jade," Palpatine replied.

"I believe they hide somewhere beyond our sight," Vader concluded. "The only way to reach them would be to capture one of them and turn them."

"Do you believe it could be done?" Palpatine queried. Vader smiled nastily.

"Oh, yes… it can be done. Anakin would not stand a chance against me in combat and together we could turn him. But if Buffy comes - her hate for me will be her undoing. And we have the perfect bait."

"Oh?" Palpatine asked curiously. "And what might that be?"

"Her children," Vader replied simply. "I have already set event in motion that will bring them to me."

* * *

_  
Cutie the bomb  
Met her at a beauty salon  
With a baby Louis Vuitton  
Under her under arm  
She said I can tell you rock  
I can tell by ya charm  
Far as girls you got a flock  
I can tell by ya charm and ya arm  
but I'm lookin for the one  
have you seen her  
My psychic told me she'ya have a ass like Serena  
Trina, Jennifer Lopez, four kids  
An I gotta take all they bad ass to show-biz  
Ok get ya kids but then they got they friends  
I Pulled up in the Benz, they all got up in  
We all went to din and then I had to pay  
If you fuckin' with this girl then you betta be paid  
You know why  
Take too much to touch her  
From what I heard she got a baby by Busta  
My best friend say she use to fuck wit Usher  
I dont care what none of ya'll say I still love her_

_(she steal me money)  
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger (When I'm in Need)  
But she aint messin wit no broke niggas (she steal me money)  
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger (When I'm in Need)  
but she aint messin wit no broke niggas (I gotta leave)  
get down girl go head get down (I gotta leave)  
get down girl go head get down (I gotta leave)  
get down girl go head get down (I gotta leave)  
get down girl go head…_

"What the hell are we listening to?" Buffy complained as they sat at their table in the dimly-lit club. Faith had made it a point to take the girls out at least once a month to The Tower, the local nightclub, for some well-deserved R & R. Tonight was the first time since Buffy had returned that the senior Slayer had decided to finally accept Faith's invitation to join them, as the Jedi didn't much care for nightclubs.

Accept for Obi-Wan and Anakin and more recently Aayla, something that Xander was eternally grateful for. The Jedi Master was now on the dance floor herself with Xander, her true nature hidden under one of Tara's glamours, moving like the sexual predator Twi'leks were known to be.

"It's called music, Buffy," Willow responded, taking a sip of her drink. The Jedi Master scoffed.

"Please, this isn't music. We never listened to this kind of crap back when we were clubbing. And what the hell is Dawn doing out there - giving Zett a lap dance?"

"I think he'd need to be sitting down for that, Buffy," Willow smirked. "And I really don't think _anything_ is down for him, right now."

"That's what I mean! She's practically having sex with him on the dance floor!"

Willow couldn't hold it in anymore, she burst out laughing. Buffy frowned at her friend.

"What's so funny?"

"You!" Willow exclaimed. "You sound like my mother! Gods, Buffy… we used to listen to this exact same music! And as for Dawn's dancing," she looked out to the floor and watched Dawn gyrate around a _very _happy Zett, "please. You did worse when you came back to Sunnydale before your junior year. I'm sure Xander and Angel would agree…"

"That's not the point!" Buffy pouted. "She's…a Jedi! Yeah, she's a Jedi, and a Jedi should be better behaved!"

"Aayla Secura says hello."

"You two having fun?" a new voice asked and the two looked up to see Anakin escorting Padmé over to their table.

"I was just commenting on how stuffy and old Buffy's gotten," Willow stated. Anakin chuckled. "As well as her taste in dancing."

"I've been saying that for years. And I don't see what problems she would have with the dancing- she used to sneak out of the Temple every Friday night to hit the clubs on Coruscant." he said glibly, seemingly oblivious to Buffy's death glare.

Willow smiled uncertainly; she and Anakin had a new understanding, but she and Padmé did not.

"Willow, might I speak with you privately?" Padmé asked.

_Yet_.

"O-of course," she stammered. The witch rose and followed the Watcher out of the club. As she left, Obi-Wan came and took her now-deserted seat. He looked out at the dance floor, then back to Buffy.

"Would you care to dance, Buffy?"

Anakin choked back his laughter as Buffy shot the Jedi Master a withering look.

"Anakin told me he was going to be training you," Padmé said without preamble. She stood stiffly outside the club, her arms crossed in front of her. Willow shifted nervously in front of her, but answered in a strong voice.

"Yes, he is," she replied. "I understand if you aren't happy with the arrangements, but the fact is I have this power and have no idea how to use it. What's more, I have a daughter out there who is being led down the same path as I was and I will do everything in my power to save her."

"I understand that," Padmé said. "To be honest, I hated the idea… at first," she added quietly. "But Anakin is right, if you want to live your life, you need to know how to properly harness the Force. Not just what Dooku taught you…" she trailed off and moved away a little, seemingly lost in her thoughts. After a few moments, she spoke. "When I read the letter you left me, I didn't feel sad as much as I felt… betrayed."

"I had no idea Dooku was the one trying to have you killed…"

"Not about that, Willow," Padmé cut in. "My family took you in. Sola and I treated you as a sister. To us, you _were_ our sister. But it wasn't enough and it hurt that it wasn't. _That's_ what hurt most of all."

Willow was speechless. She had barely spoken three words to her sister all of these years and now she was here opening herself up to Willow. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before she responded.

"I was stupid." She nodded her head at Padmé's surprised expression. "It's true. I was stupid. I was so intent on getting back to the woman I loved, that I completely ignored the fact that I was destroying everything she loved about me. And in the process, I destroyed our relationship as well." She took a shuddering breath. "My own family was always very distant with me. They were psychologists - for them, raising me was a clinical exercise. I never really knew what a loving family was like until yours took me in. And I never realized what I was missing until I lost it."

The two were silent for a time, each thinking about what the other had said. After a time, Padmé finally spoke.

"Anakin has forgiven you for what you did to him. And after talking with him, he made me realize that even if you hadn't been involved, the odds were that I would have been separated from my children anyway. And the fact is…I miss you." She turned to face Willow, whose eyes were glistening with tears. "I miss the friendship we once had, Willow. I miss my verbal sparring partner, who always kept me on my toes. I want reconciliation. It will take time; this can't happen overnight. But I think that, now, I am ready to try…" she is cut off by an emotional Willow throwing her arms around her and pulling the former Senator in for a hug. Instinctively Padmé stiffened, before finally melting into the hug with her long lost sister.

* * *

The young Mandalorian warrior entered the seedy bar on Nar Shadda and instantly spotted her quarry. She quickly made her way to the table and sat down across from the man, making no attempt to draw her weapon. There was no need; a fight wasn't what she was there for.

"I hear you're looking for information about the Separatist occupation of Corellia," the man said. The Mandalorian nodded.

"What do you have for me, Karrde?"

Talon Karrde leaned forward across the table. "I have to say, I'm curious. Who cares about an invasion that ended over twenty years ago?"

"I care," she replied vehemently. She reached into her belt and pulled out a credit chip, then slid it across to Karrde. "You'll find your payment on that chip. Now, you have my information?"

Karrde picked up the chip and fed it into his reader. Verifying the correct amount on the chip, he pulled his own chip out of his waistcoat and presented it to the warrior. "This was recovered recently from unknown sources, but I've verified its authenticity. It's a security recording from one of the detention cities that shows who was in charge of the operation—"

"Massacre," she corrected. Karrde nodded in agreement. The young warrior shakily picked up the chip and inserted it into the reader on her wrist gauntlet. At once the image appeared in small window in her helmet's 360 degree viewer. The scene it showed was one of devastation - burning buildings, collapsed duracreet and mangled bodies lay everywhere, but that wasn't the sight that chilled her blood. No, the sight that really chilled her was the familiar figure she spied across the way from the camera.

"_Commander, have you wiped out the resistance leadership?"_

"_Yes, sir," the droid replied. "We believe there are additional cells operating in the area. We are cleansing the camp as we speak."_

"_Change of plan, Commander. You are to initiate the scorched planet procedure. The order comes directly from Darth Traya. Leave none alive. And commander, if you come across the Skywalker girl, try to capture her alive. I have special plans for her."_

It was the man who had taken her under his wing, whom had taught her everything she knew. The man who had indoctrinated her into the Mandalorian society.

The Mand'alor.

Boba Fett.

The man who had become a father figure to her was the man responsible for killing her father, for taking away her childhood.

Without a word, Joyce Solo stood and walked out of the bar back to Prometheus, her mind in a whirl. Everything she thought she knew, everything she thought she was, was a lie. As Joyce climbed into the cockpit and powered up her vessel, the only thing she was sure of was that Boba Fett was going to pay.

No matter what the cost.

**Fin**

* * *

A/N: And so ends Hope Reborn. From here on out, we move further and further away from the movies and my story overtakes the original vision of George Lucas. Things to look forward to in the next Episode:

Everybody begins their training: Leia on the Falcon with Buffy; Luke on Dagobah with Yoda and Joyce and Willow on Naboo with Anakin and Obi-Wan.

Vader, Halcyon and Mara Jade plot.

Both Joyce and Buffy will be tempted by the Dark Side.

Willow, Anakin, Buffy and Joyce will all face ghost's from their past

And Dawn will face her trials.

All in Star Wars - Episode V: Trials of the Empire


End file.
